Waterloo, Ontario and Jakarta, Indonesia – June 27, 2016 – BlackBerry Limited (NASDAQ: BBRY; TSX: BB), a global leader in secure mobile communications, announced a strategic alliance with PT Elang Mahkota Teknologi Tbk. (Emtek, IDX:EMTK) that will provide cross-platform BBM users with access to enriched content and services. This landmark partnership accelerates BlackBerry’s vision to advance BBM for the consumer market through a licensing agreement with Emtek Group that enables the company to develop new BBM applications and services for Android, iOS and Windows Phones.
To strengthen the alliance, Emtek’s digital content arm KMK Online will establish an office in the Toronto area to work closely with BlackBerry. KMK Online has a wide breadth of media assets that will be combined with more than 20 of Emtek’s businesses and investments to bring significant value and services to BBM. These investments span across broadcast television, Web properties, content production and artists. This means, in the coming months, users will have access to a plethora of content such as national free-to-air (FTA) television stations, one of the leading online video platforms, three exclusive production houses and a library of more than 100,000 hours of TV and premium content, just to name a few.
BlackBerry will also extend its open mobility ecosystem by making the BBM application program interface (API) available to Emtek in order to accelerate the growth of partners and service providers. Integrating BBM’s social, chat, commerce and content capabilities with Emtek’s substantial portfolio of assets and ecosystem will help maximize the potential of BBM to give customers access to new:
- Content – music and video streaming, games, sports and news channels, celebrity blogs more
- Commerce – shopping, gifting and coupons/vouchers
- Online to Offline Commerce – booking movies, travel, health services or job postings
- Finance – payment processing, money transfer, mobile phone re-charge, and utilities billing
As one of the leading messaging services, BBM cross-platform has seen significant popularity in Indonesia, growing to nearly 60 million monthly active users. Emtek, as Indonesia’s leading media content company, is an ideal partner to advance the innovation and capabilities of the BBM platform.
Licensing BlackBerry software and IP is part of the company’s strategy to increase revenue and improve margins. Not only does the alliance with Emtek facilitate this goal, it achieves operational and cost efficiencies while driving growth in the BBM business as Emtek will invest in people, infrastructure, technology development and the ecosystem.
“Emtek’s impressive background and pedigree in entertainment, content and technology makes them the perfect partner to maximize the potential of BlackBerry’s messaging platform while meeting our financial and operational goals,” said John Chen, Executive Chairman and CEO, BlackBerry. “Our BBM users are passionate people that truly value BBM as the best way to share and connect with each other. We wanted to continue to offer our users even more with the most content-rich media and new services such as e-commerce, video, music and games.”
“Our partnership with BlackBerry will allow BBM users to access exclusive content from some of Emtek’s most sought-after entertainment, technology and digital products and services,” said Alvin Sariaatmadja, CEO of Emtek. “We see significant opportunity to grow the consumer BBM business globally and are excited to invest in research and development to further advance BBM.”
Partnering with Emtek enables the growth of both consumer and enterprise BBM. As Emtek advances the platform for the consumer market, BlackBerry will continue to advance the platform for enterprise with BBM Protected, the world’s most secure cross-platform messaging service. BBM Protected provides enterprise-grade messaging for Android, iOS, BB10 and BBOS, and enables users to stay connected and engaged with each other through real time messaging, voice and video communications.
About BlackBerry
BlackBerry is securing a connected world, delivering innovative solutions across the entire mobile ecosystem and beyond. We secure the world’s most sensitive data across all end points – from cars to smartphones – making the mobile-first enterprise vision a reality. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, BlackBerry operates offices in North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin America. The Company trades under the ticker symbols “BB” on the Toronto Stock Exchange and “BBRY” on the NASDAQ. For more information, visit www.BlackBerry.com.
About Emtek
The Emtek Group is the largest media, content and technology businesses in Indonesia. Emtek Group operates three free to air television channels (SCTV, Indosiar and O-Channel), a Pay-TV business (Nexmedia) and several IT solutions business, and has established a substantial online media presence through its subsidiary PT Kreatif Media Karya (KMK). In conjunction with its television businesses, Emtek Group owns controlling interests in several content production ventures, creating film for cinema and television, drama series and animation. KMK is focused on creating growth for the Group in the online industry. KMK currently owns and operates the Internet portals Liputan6.com, a top 3 news portal in Indonesia, Vidio.com, a video portal, Bintang.com, an entertainment portal, Bola.com, a sports portal, and Karir.com, a leading local job portal. KMK has also made investments in several other companies including PropertyGuru Group, South East Asia’s leading online property portal and Bukalapak.com, an Indonesian online marketplace. For more information, please visit www.emtek.co.id.
Media Contact:
BlackBerry Media Relations
(519) 597-7273
mediarelations@BlackBerry.com
Investor Contact:
BlackBerry Investor Relations
(519) 888-7465
investor_relations@BlackBerry.com
Media Contact:
Emtek Media Relations
+62 21 2793 5555
Mr. Sutanto Hartono
Sutanto@emtek.co.id
Investor Contact:
Investor Relations
+62 21 2793 5555
Mr. Olle Wennerdahl
olle.wennerdahl@emtek.co.id
Forward-looking statements in this news release are made pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When used herein, words such as “expect”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “may”, “will”, “should”, “intend”, “believe”, and similar expressions, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by BlackBerry Limited in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that BlackBerry believes are appropriate in the circumstances. Many factors could cause BlackBerry’s actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including those described in the “Risk Factors” section of BlackBerry’s Annual Information Form, which is included in its Annual Report on Form 40-F (copies of which filings may be obtained at http://www.sedar.com or http://www.sec.gov). These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on BlackBerry’s forward-looking statements. BlackBerry has no intention and undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
BlackBerry and related trademarks, names and logos are the property of BlackBerry Limited and are registered and/or used in the U.S. and countries around the world. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. BlackBerry is not responsible for any third-party products or services.
Indonesians can purchase Pulsa airtime top-up credits, plus pay PLN electricity bills, BPJS (the public agency that administers the Indonesian social security programs) and selected finance bills through BBM.
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