Blackberry stops making its own phones read more at here www.spinonews.com/index.php/item/1055-blackberry-stops-making-its-own-phones

Former smartphone giant Blackberry has said it will no longer manufacture its own devices. Instead, it intends to outsource hardware, making to development partners, although the core focus of its business is firmly on software services at this point.

CEO John Chen said, Quitting manufacturing will allow the company to reduce capital requirements and enhance return on invested capital.

Chen described, Blackberry is reaching an inflection point with our strategy, and it turns to software is taking hold. He also talked up the company’s financial foundation thanks to growth in its software business, for 30 percent revenue growth in the software and services for the full fiscal year.

Chen said, our new Mobility Solutions strategy is showing signs of momentum, including first major device software licensing agreement. Under this strategy, we are focused on software development, including security and applications.

Last year the company launching its first Android-powered handset, Priv, the traditional Blackberry keyboard and with some added security special sauce of its own. It then went on to release a second Android-based device this summer.

Hardware sales of all these phones have clearly been underwhelming, and the days of any Blackberry branded devices for consumers are surely almost over.

Highly security conscious business users, and segments of the legal industry, may persist for a while in wanting actual Blackberry hardware. However, that’s a marginal business along the lines of specialist crypto phones.