VENTURE CAPITAL POST

Blackberry is officially taking pre-order for the Blackberry Priv, the company's first Android-based smartphone. Blackberry Priv was first announced last month. The phone features a touchscreen, slide-out keyboard, and Blackberry's security software.

BlackBerry, which has completed the first phase of its two-year turnaround plan, is now focused on profitability and will not spread itself thin by attempting to launch too many new devices, its chief executive said.

BlackBerry Ltd's launch of its square-screened Passport device may have grabbed headlines this week, but it was the tech company's lower-profile roll out of the new Blend feature that appears to be garnering the plaudits.

BlackBerry has acquired a U.K-based mobile technology start-up whose software allows users to have multiple phone numbers on the same device, the Canadian tech firm said on Thursday.

Embattled Canadian smartphone maker BlackBerry has acquired healthcare IT firm NantHealth, reported TechCrunch.

BlackBerry's new chief John Chen revealed that its messaging app BBM now has 85 million monthly active users and a steady growth in its user base after the app was released to the Android and iOS platform in October.

Troubled smartphone maker BlackBerry on Tuesday announced that John Sims will join the company as head ofmits gloabl enterprise services business. Sims is a former executive at German software firm SAP.

Sources told the Wall Street Journal that BlackBerry's executive vice president of global sales and official in charge of its mergers and acquisitions strategy will be departing the struggling smartphone maker in weeks.

BlackBerry Ltd is "very much alive, thank you," Interim Chief Executive John Chen affirmed in an open letter on Monday in which the smartphone maker committed itself to rebuilding as a niche player concentrating on the enterprise market.