BlackBerry CEO Describes Shift From Smartphones to Automotive and Security Software
In a Sunday interview, CEO John Giamatteo described how BlackBerry has moved beyond its well-known phones to focus on embedded automotive software and secure communications.
BlackBerry's business is now centered on software rather than the smartphones that once made its name, CEO John Giamatteo said in an interview published Sunday, according to reports.
Giamatteo described a company focused on automotive software and secure communications, with technology used behind the scenes in vehicles, government communications, robotics and medical equipment.
"We're a different company than we were from the device days," he said in the interview, saying its software and services now support a range of systems around the world.
According to the interview, BlackBerry's QNX embedded software is used in more than 275 million vehicles, while 18 of the G20 countries use some form of its secure communications technology. Those figures describe the company's existing reach, not a new product launch announced Sunday.
Giamatteo said narrowing the company's focus has been central to its transition. His advice was to simplify operations and concentrate on fewer areas that a business can do well.
He also described a numbers-driven management style, saying he reviews key performance indicators daily to look for trends and assess what is working.
The interview offered a look at BlackBerry's continuing reinvention and Giamatteo's leadership approach. It was not an announcement that the company was returning to the smartphone business.