BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB), the struggling Canadian smartphone manufacturer, announced the extension of an investor option to purchase as much as $250 million worth of convertible debenture until January 13, 2014.
According to the company, it has been in quiet period since the initial closing, and the extension will allow it to update its financial information to potential investors after the third quarter results, which will be released on December 20.
Also see: BlackBerry Ltd (BBRY) Rises From The Ashes Of Research In Motion?
BlackBerry on convertible debt
BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB) said, “If the option is exercised, the purchase of the additional convertibles will be completed on or before January 16.”
The Canadian smartphone manufacturer offered $1 billion worth of convertible debentures last November 13 to raise funds after abandoning its plan to sell itself.
[drizzle]Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd (TSE:FFH) (OTCMKTS:FRFHF), the insurance holding controlled by Prem Watsa, agreed to purchase $250 million worth of convertible debentures instead of pursuing its previous proposal to takeover BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB) for $4.7 billion. Watsa explained that his firm dropped its takeover bid after conducting due diligence and concluded that a leveraged buyout with high-yield debt and high interest rate was not appropriate for the smartphone manufacturer.
Investments in BlackBerry’s convertible debt
Aside from Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd (TSE:FFH) (OTCMKTS:FRFHF), Canso Investment Counsel, Mackenzie Financial, Markel Corporation (NYSE:MKL), Qatar Holding, Manulife Financial Corp. (TSE:MFC) (NYSE:MFC) and Brookfield Asset Management Inc. (NYSE:BAM) invested in BlackBerry’s convertible debt offering.
John Chen, the newly appointed CEO of BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ;BBRY) (TSE:BB) is committed to reclaiming the success of the company, and emphasized that its management team is accelerating efforts to transform its business. According to him, there are a lot of things to be done to revive the embattled smartphone manufacturer and he is prepared to face the challenges and make tough decisions to revive the company.
According to him, BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB) has significant financial strength for the long haul. “I believe in the value of this brand. With the right team and right strategy in place, I am confident that we will rebuild BlackBerry for the benefit of all of our constituencies,” said Chen in his previous letter.
RMHS selects BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10
The Canadian smartphone maker recently announced that Rocky Mountain Human Services (RMHS) selected its BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 (BES), its enterprise mobility management (EMM) solution along with the BlackBerry Z10 smartphone to improve its mobile productivity.
Annie Davies, spokesperson for RMHS said, “The productivity benefits on the BlackBerry Z10 smartphone are unmatched, empowering our employees to be as engaged on-the-go as they are in the office. Our employees often require access to confidential information while in the field. The Citrix Receiver application allows for a seamless transition from employee workstations to our BlackBerry Z10 smartphones, because we can access the same applications and files securely behind our corporate firewall.”
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