Tech companies change so quickly that sometimes companies have no choice but to reinvent themselves and that is exactly what BlackBerry (BB) has done as their stock has already delivered gains of 190% in 2021.
Historically known as a hardware business, BlackBerry decided to opt out of its legacy operations and elect for a push into enterprise software, internet of things (IoT), and cybersecurity, pivoting away from handsets as that business flagged.
That is where all the serious tech money is these days.
A torrent of positive announcement has rallied investors to this stock with the company announcing an expanded partnership with Baidu (BIDU) that will see it continue working on automated high-definition mapping software that Baidu uses in its autonomous driving technology.
Baidu is a Chinese tech company that is also hoping to reinvent themselves away from their legacy business of internet search.
Data and connectivity are opening new avenues for innovation in the automotive industry, and BlackBerry and auto companies share a common vision to provide automakers and developers with optimal data so that they can deliver new services to consumers.
The tie-up with Baidu caused the stock to shoot higher by 17.3% at $21.15 in premarket trading.
This move broadens the company's use of BlackBerry’s operating system in its "Apollo" autonomous driving open platform.
Under the expanded partnership, Baidu’s high-definition map will be integrated with BlackBerry’s QNX Neutrino real-time operating system.
The integrated system will be mass-produced and available on Guangzhou Automobile Group electric vehicle arm’s upcoming GAC New Energy Aion models.
The BlackBerry QNX software scores high in functional safety, network security, and reliability, while Baidu has achieved long-term development in artificial intelligence and deep learning.
GAC is one of China’s largest automakers. It also manufactures the Hycan 007 cars under a joint venture with EV startup NIO.
This is just an example of how BB is running to the part of the end zone where the ball is going to be thrown unlike other dinosaur tech like IBM.
The company’s stock has recently been included in strong dialogue on online message boards such as Reddit, which like GameStop (GME) has felt a sharp appreciation in price or probably better describes as rocket boosters.
GME is up 100% just today which can only be described as an epic short squeeze.
At a strategic level, the success of BlackBerry’s stock can be attributed in part to the strategic shift to cybersecurity and the Internet of Things.
The shift away from handheld devices is long due, and so what's really happening is the market is putting its stamp of approval on this new shift of BlackBerry away from its old business model and what it’s doing now.
BB holds more patents than any other company in Canada.
BlackBerry shares spiked as much as 20% after settling a patent infringement suit with Facebook.
BlackBerry first targeted Facebook with a lawsuit back in 2018, filing a 117-page complaint accusing the social network of infringing on Blackberry's innovative messaging technology.
The settlement removed any litigious uncertainty offering another clear pathway for the stock to rise.
The biggest strategic overhaul has been its recent partnerships with Amazon (AMZN) Web Services in December to use its cloud services.
They signed an agreement with Amazon for BB to develop a software platform that allows automakers to read vehicle sensor data, improving cloud-connected vehicles' performance.
Blackberry announced it sold 90 patents to China's largest phone manufacturer, Huawei.
Automakers can use this information to create responsive in-vehicle services that enhance driver and passenger experiences.
BlackBerry IVY addresses a critical data access, collection, and management problem in the automotive industry.
Cars and trucks use many different parts, with each vehicle model comprising a unique set of proprietary hardware and software components.
These components, which include an increasing variety of vehicle sensors, produce data in unique and specialized formats.
The highly specific skills required to interact with this data, as well as the challenges of accessing it from within contained vehicle subsystems, limit developers’ abilities to innovate quickly and bring new solutions to market.
BlackBerry IVY will solve these challenges by applying machine learning to that data to generate predictive insights and inferences, making it possible for automakers to offer in-vehicle experiences that are highly personalized and able to take action based on those insights.
Although many legacy tech companies get caught in the weeds, never to grow again. BB has sorted out its vision and is well on its way to delivering shareholder value back to the end investor.
Even though I would say the short-term price action in BB is at this point euphoric, it would serve any tech investor well to dip their toe into this stock long term when there is a pullback.
