John Chen, CEO of BlackBerry joined Cheddar on the day the company moves to the New York Stock Exchange after 30 years at the Nasdaq.
Chen explained that it’s time to relaunch the company in order for customers to feel more connected. Trading at the New York Stock Exchange will help BlackBerry with that mission.
BlackBerry has shifted over the past few years from a smartphone-focused company to a software and services conglomerate. Chen talks about the importance of the phone itself and getting BlackBerry’s security technology into most smartphones around the globe. He believes making smartphone smarter is all in the software.
In moving away from devices, BlackBerry has driven full-force into autonomous technology, helping to put Canada’s first self-driving car on the road. He explains that he doesn’t see the company as competing with Apple in the self-driving car space and wants BlackBerry to be the leader of communication within the autonomous industry.
Chen said the company’s strategy for generating licensing revenue from its patent portfolio remains on track following the recent departures of two people from the team negotiating deals.
Chen said,
“We have over 80 people in that group and very senior people,”, while last month, Mark Kokes, who led BlackBerry’s overall patent strategy, joined a health technology company.
