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Key Takeaways BlackBerry barely kept itself afloat after the launch of the iPhone in 2007 changed the smartphone industry.
Over the past two decades, it has reinvented itself and begun selling software for cars.
Its software is now embedded in 275 million cars.
For many people, the word BlackBerry still conjures up images of the sleek keyboard phones that defined the early smartphone era. However, the company behind that once-ubiquitous brand has spent years remaking itself into a software business. Now, investors are starting to pay closer attention to the transformation.
John Giamatteo, CEO of BlackBerry, joined CNBC’s The Tech Download podcast recently to discuss the company’s transformation and how it is preparing for a future dominated by AI. Though BlackBerry remains a recognizable and iconic brand, its business today is far removed from the smartphones that defined it two decades ago.
Two segments drive most of BlackBerry’s revenue. The first is secure communications. BlackBerry now provides encrypted and secure communications software to governments and other customers that cannot afford to have sensitive conversations intercepted or compromised.
BlackBerry’s flagship SecuSUITE platform encrypts voice calls, messages and file sharing across mobile and desktop devices. It also verifies user identities and protects communications.
The second pillar of BlackBerry’s business is QNX, the behind-the-scenes software operation that helps make vehicles run safely. QNX supplies automakers with operating systems and embedded software for functions where a glitch can be dangerous. The technology supports everything from braking to driver assistance systems.
QNX is now a significant player in the safety automotive software space. BlackBerry has embedded QNX in 275 million vehicles worldwide.
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