BlackBerry Limited has entered into a long-term licensing agreement with TCL Communication to accelerate BlackBerry’s transition into a security software and services company. Though BlackBerry will continue to control and develop its security and software solutions, its sales and distribution will be managed by TCL Communication that will also serve as a global distributor of new BlackBerry-branded mobile devices. This comes as a followup to BlackBerry’s recent announcement to focus on software innovation while working with third parties to develop hardware and distribute the BlackBerry handset brand.
TCL Communication will be the exclusive global manufacturer and distributor for all BlackBerry-branded smartphones with the exception of the following countries: India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh and Indonesia. Additional information on the product roadmap and availability of devices will be available in coming months.
Under the terms of the agreement, BlackBerry will license its security software and service suite, as well as related brand assets to TCL Communication who will design, manufacture, sell and provide customer support for BlackBerry-branded mobile devices. The agreement with TCL Communication is BlackBerry’s first global licensing agreement and expands on its existing relationship, which led to the introduction of the DTEK50 and DTEK60 handsets on Android which deliver the standard of security that customers and partners trust.
