BlackBerry CEO looks to 2014 for fresh start

TORONTO – John Chen is making a very public New Year’s resolution for BlackBerry – one that involves leaving the struggling smartphone-maker’s troubles in the past.

In a commentary article for CNBC titled, “BlackBerry: The way forward,” the newly appointed CEO dismissed competitors’ claims that the Waterloo, Ont. smartphone-maker is failing, and said he will continue to focus on the company’s future.

“I’m not focused on who BlackBerry used to be—I’m focused on what BlackBerry will be today and in the future,” wrote Chen in the article published Monday.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I'm not focused on who BlackBerry used to be—I'm focused on what BlackBerry will be today and in the future," wrote Chen in the article published Monday.

“Today, our company is strong financially, technologically savvy and is well-positioned for the future.”

In the article, Chen touched on his team’s new approach to business, which includes focusing on BlackBerry’s enterprise services, QNX, and messaging applications.

READ MORE: BlackBerry aims for successful reboot

Chen also put an emphasis on the company’s enterprise business – which was once celebrated as one of the best in the industry – noting that BlackBerry’s global enterprise customer base exceeds 80,000.

“Don’t be fooled by the competition’s rhetoric claiming to be more secure or having more experience than BlackBerry,” said Chen.

But the interim CEO also touched on BlackBerry’s instant messaging service BBM – which was released to Android and iOS devices in October – adding that the company plans to turn it into a revenue source in the future.

“In the last 60 days, more than 40 million new iOS and Android users have registered to use BBM. We will continue to invest in this popular service and build out its features and channels, with plans to turn it into a revenue stream in the coming years,” he wrote.

Chen’s Op-Ed piece comes after BlackBerry published an open letter in October urging customers and partners to stay with the troubled smartphone-maker throughout its restructuring.

Similarly, earlier this month Chen defended the company, stating that reports of the BlackBerry’s death were “greatly exaggerated,” adding that BlackBerry is “very much alive, thank you.”