Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Latest News
    • Mobile

    As BlackBerry Layoffs Continue, Apple Hires Away Top Talent

    By
    Michelle Maisto
    -
    October 11, 2013
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      Apple held a job fair Sept. 26, approximately 10 miles from the Waterloo, Ontario, campus of struggling rival BlackBerry, according to the Financial Post.

      “Most positions will be based in Cupertino, Calif. Relocation and immigration assistance will be provided for candidates that are hired, as needed,” Apple said in a LinkedIn invitation sent to select BlackBerry employees, according to the report.

      Days earlier, BlackBerry confirmed in a statement that it was undertaking necessary “organizational moves” to ensure it had “the right people in the right roles to drive new opportunities in mobile computing.”

      In a Sept. 20 announcement, BlackBerry warned of fiscal 2014 second-quarter losses that could reach $995 million. In the same breath, it announced “restructuring plans” that included reducing its work force by 4,500 employees.

      “We are implementing the difficult but necessary operational changes announced today to address our position in a maturing and more competitive industry, and to drive the company toward profitability,” CEO Thorsten Heins said in a statement.

      On Sept. 27, BlackBerry confirmed an operating loss of $965 million, but cancelled its earnings call with analysts and media, in light of the $4.7 billion offer it had received from Fairfax Financial Holdings, its largest shareholder, days before.

      Stealing Away Talent

      Fairfax may not be too thrilled to hear that Apple is luring south some of Canada’s top tech talent, and neither will BlackBerry’s other suitors.

      BlackBerry co-founders Mike Lazaridis and Douglas Fregin filed paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission Oct. 8, saying they’re “considering all options” with respect to their share holdings in the company, including a “potential acquisition of all the outstanding shares of [BlackBerry] that they do not currently own.”

      Google, SAP, Cisco and Samsung have reportedly also expressed interest in portions of BlackBerry—a scenario that the company is increasingly warming to, Bloomberg reported Oct. 10, amid speculation that Fairfax may have trouble lining up the funding or partners necessary to back its offer.

      While ultimately BlackBerry’s management would pursue the option that delivers the most value to shareholders, it would surely prefer to keep the company together, Strategy Analytics analyst Ken Hyers has said.

      Breaking it up, though, he told eWEEK, would benefit BlackBerry’s employees.

      A breakup “would result in parts of the company, particularly BlackBerry’s secure email service, living on somewhere else, and would guarantee some of its employees finding jobs at other stable companies,” said Hyers.

      That is, unless they’re already in Cupertino.

      Another Setback for Canada

      As part of its employee reduction plans, BlackBerry announced Oct. 11 that it is closing a Center of Excellence in Halifax, Nova Scotia, open only eight months ago. All 350 employees there will be let go, and BlackBerry will return to the Nova Scotia government $2 million (Canadian) that it received as part of the agreement, The Wall Street Journal reported Oct. 10.

      “We know that our employees in Halifax have worked hard on behalf of our company, and we are grateful for their commitment and contribution,” BlackBerry said in a statement, according to the report.

      “This is difficult news for them and for the community of Halifax,” it continued. “However, these changes are necessary in order to refocus our business to drive the company towards profitability and success in a maturing and more competitive industry.”

      Follow Michelle Maisto on Twitter.

      Michelle Maisto
      Michelle Maisto has been covering the enterprise mobility space for a decade, beginning with Knowledge Management, Field Force Automation and eCRM, and most recently as the editor-in-chief of Mobile Enterprise magazine. She earned an MFA in nonfiction writing from Columbia University, and in her spare time obsesses about food. Her first book, The Gastronomy of Marriage, if forthcoming from Random House in September 2009.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Big Data and Analytics

      Alteryx’s Suresh Vittal on the Democratization of...

      James Maguire - May 31, 2022 0
      I spoke with Suresh Vittal, Chief Product Officer at Alteryx, about the industry mega-shift toward making data analytics tools accessible to a company’s complete...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Applications

      Cisco’s Thimaya Subaiya on Customer Experience in...

      James Maguire - May 10, 2022 0
      I spoke with Thimaya Subaiya, SVP and GM of Global Customer Experience at Cisco, about the factors that create good customer experience – and...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      GoodData CEO Roman Stanek on Business Intelligence...

      James Maguire - May 4, 2022 0
      I spoke with Roman Stanek, CEO of GoodData, about business intelligence, data as a service, and the frustration that many executives have with data...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Yotascale CEO Asim Razzaq on Controlling Multicloud...

      James Maguire - May 5, 2022 0
      Asim Razzaq, CEO of Yotascale, provides guidance on understanding—and containing—the complex cost structure of multicloud computing. Among the topics we covered:  As you survey the...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×