Italian Customers Choose BES12 by BlackBerry for Secure EMM

Source: BlackBerry - Press Releases - June 30, 2015

Milan, Italy – BlackBerry Limited (Nasdaq: BBRY; TSX: BB), a global leader in mobile communications, announced today that Grandi Navi Veloci (GNV), AB Holding and Sapio are among the enterprises in Italy that are adopting BES®12: a multi-OS EMM solution by BlackBerry® to securely manage data, applications and devices.

BES12 centralizes device management from a single command and control center, and can manage any mobile deployment model such as BYOD, Corporate Owned Personally Enabled (COPE) and Corporate Owned Business Only (COBO). BES12 seamlessly supports iOS, Android™, Windows Phone®, BlackBerry® OS and BlackBerry® 10 smartphones and tablets, as well as a wide range of Samsung KNOX and Android for Work smartphones and tablets‎.

Grandi Navi Veloci (GNV) is one of the leading Italian shipping companies, supporting coastal navigation and passenger transport on the Mediterranean Sea.

“For GNV, security and mobile service availability are crucial to our operations, especially in mission-critical situations. We have a mixed mobile deployment model, including BYOD for most employees, and we use the COPE model with BlackBerry 10 smartphones for our ship captains, who require true end-to-end security,” said Paolo Beatini, CIO at Grandi Navi Veloci. “Thanks to the unified console of BES12, it has been easy to manage and distribute policies for a variety of devices with different operating systems. In addition, we have reduced downtime and have improved the quality of service to our users.”

AB designs and produces cogeneration plants and customized solutions for energy efficiency and distribution, with operations in 18 countries worldwide. With recent growth and international development of their business, AB selected BES12 as a comprehensive EMM solution in order to provide their employees with secure, fast and easy access to corporate information and data. At the same time, AB leverages the features of BES12 for Mobile Application Lifecycle Management (MALM).

“The integrated console on BES12 has simplified every day administration, while helping IT managers oversee and monitor mobile devices,” said Pietro Baronchelli, Head of Information Security at AB. “The BlackBerry solution allows our IT department to apply policies and access rights and protection for both individuals and groups of users. This is important for our company, which needs our employees to have access to sensitive data on their smartphones, without the risk of leaking confidential information.”

Founded in 1922, SAPIO Group operates in the Italian and international markets of the medical and industrial gas sector. Moving from a COBO mobile device strategy to a COPE model, SAPIO chose to upgrade to BES12. The solution allows the company to integrate all existing devices and manage them with a single console, applying policies while monitoring endpoints, applications and sensitive data.  

“BES12 gives us the highest reliability when it comes to data protection and security, as well as the best performance in mobile device management,” said Riccardo Salierno, Director of IT Systems, SAPIO. “With BES12, SAPIO seamlessly transitioned to the COPE model which has enabled our employees to use their personal perimeter in a secure but less restricted way than before.”

“Customers like GNV, AB Holdings and SAPIO require that their information and company data remain secure, while also giving their employees choice in the device they want to use,” said Diego Ghidini, Enterprise Sales Director, BlackBerry Italy. “BES12 is the only EMM solution that offers secure and flexible management of devices, applications, and content for all BlackBerry smartphones and devices with other operating systems from one unified console. BES12 allows companies to align their corporate policies with end-user needs and preferences, without compromising corporate policies.”

For more information about BES12, please visit www.BlackBerry.com/BES12.

About BlackBerryA global leader in mobile communications, BlackBerry® revolutionized the mobile industry when it was introduced in 1999. Today, BlackBerry aims to inspire the success of our millions of customers around the world by continuously pushing the boundaries of mobile experiences. 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.

HERE to lead vehicle hazard warning pilot in Finland

Source: Nokia - Press Releases - June 30, 2015

• The project is the first to implement system in accordance with EU ITS directive

Berlin, Germany - HERE, a leader in mapping, navigation and location services, has been selected by Finnish traffic agencies to lead a pilot project to enable vehicles to communicate safety hazards to others on the road.

The pilot, which will start in 2016, intends to assess the capability of current and emerging mobile network and location cloud technologies in supporting the timely communication of critical safety information, such as black ice or an animal on the road, sudden traffic build-up, or an accident.

In this pilot, to test the capability of the proposed technology architecture, drivers will voluntarily share notifications about safety hazards and changing road conditions initially via a smartphone. The aim, however, is that this architecture would later also support low-latency communication, via a cloud, of data generated by a vehicle's on-board sensors and the surrounding road infrastructure to other vehicles and smart devices on the road.

According to a recent forecast from automotive technology research firm SBD, by 2020 there will be some 33 million vehicles sold annually with built-in connectivity, generating more than 163 million terabytes of data each year via their on-board cameras and sensors. When shared across the road network using 4G/LTE and future 5G network technologies, these data could be utilized by vehicles to give them an awareness of road conditions beyond the reach of their sensors, and thus enable the driver or the vehicle itself to better plan driving maneuvers. 5G technology raises the prospect of road hazard warnings being communicated via the cloud to relevant vehicles in a fraction of a second.

HERE is tasked by the Finnish Transport Agency (FTA) and Trafi, the Finnish Transport Safety Agency, to lead the pilot, called Coop, and will work together with traffic information management service company Infotripla in implementing it. The project will be the first to implement a road hazard warning messaging system as described in the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Directive set out by the EU. This particular pilot does not require the deployment of any additional roadside infrastructure, such as DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communications) equipment, although HERE is pursuing an agnostic approach with its technologies that will allow for connections with other infrastructure if required.

George Filley, who heads HERE's Digital Transportation Infrastructure program, said: "With this project, we will explore how technology within our reach today could make driving safer as cars get connected. There will be enormous amounts of data generated by a car's on-board sensors that can be collected, analyzed and shared with others on the road. An important piece of the puzzle is to figure out how to provide relevant, low-latency information to the right people at the right time, and that is a problem we believe we can solve.

Alain Dunoyer, Head of the Safe Car division of SBD, the automotive technology research firm, said: "The technology exists to identify road hazards with increasing levels of accuracy - it is great to see Finland partnering with a technology leader like HERE to take the next step of ensuring this information reaches a broader population of drivers who will benefit from this life-saving information the most."

The first phase of the pilot will focus on ensuring the technical maturity of the system. The second phase begins in the first half of 2016 on the E18 highway, the main road between Helsinki and Turku, as well as the Ring I and Ring III highways in the Greater Helsinki area, with initially up to 1,000 drivers expected to take part. The pilot phase is expected to complete by the end of 2017.

HERE has been developing location cloud technology for several years, and currently provides content and services via the cloud - including maps, routing and real-time traffic information - to automotive and Internet companies as well as government transportation agencies.

In a related effort, HERE is developing next generation high definition (HD) and live maps to power a new class of driver experiences globally, including deployment in highly automated vehicles in 2018. To help accelerate the deployment of a live map for vehicles, HERE last week published an interface specification that defines how sensor data gathered by vehicles on the road can be ingested by a cloud. HERE intends for this interface specification to become a standardized way for vehicles to send to the cloud the rich variety of data gathered by their on-board sensors. With a standard interface specification, the data generated would be analogous regardless of vehicle manufacturer and could be pooled, processed and analyzed quickly to create an enhanced view of road and traffic conditions.

For more information on this announcement, see the HERE 360 blog and theFTA press release.

About HERE
HERE, a Nokia company, is a leader in navigation, mapping and location experiences. We build high-definition (HD) maps and combine them with cloud technology to enable rich, real-time location experiences in a broad range of connected devices - from smartphones and tablets to wearables and vehicles. To learn more about us, including our work in the areas of connected and automated driving, visit http://360.here.com.

Nokia Networks inks 4-year deal with Bharti Airtel India for 3G network rollout

Source: Nokia - Press Releases - June 30, 2015

• To deliver radio and services for Bharti Airtel's 3G network and enhance infrastructure across 8 circles in India

New Delhi/Gurgaon, India - Bharti Airtel, a leading global telecommunications company with operations in 20 countries across Asia and Africa, has selected Nokia Networks to roll out its 3G network in 5 new telecom circles and network expansion in 3 existing telecom circles*. Under the 4-year contract, the company will provide its radio elements and services expertise to power Bharti Airtel's infrastructure.

Click to Tweet: New 4 year 3G network rollout deal for @nokianetworks from @airtelindia across 8 circles #NetworksPerform http://nokia.ly/1KmeVvW

Deal details at a glance:

• Network planning and optimization, network implementation, network operations, project management and care services, including hardware and software maintenance as well as competence development
• Compact and energy-efficient Flexi Multiradio 10 Base Station, a software-defined radio platform complemented with Flexi Lite Base Station, a small all-in-one base station optimized for indoor and outdoor micro-cell deployments with superior capacity and coverage in densely crowded areas
• Extremely compact, highly scalable and flexible multi-technology, all-IP multicontroller RNC (mcRNC)
• NetAct, a cloud-ready virtualized OSS, for effective and consolidated monitoring and optimization

Abhay Savargaonkar, Director of Network Services Group, Bharti Airtel, said: "The Indian telecom environment is currently experiencing a rapid increase in the uptake of data-centric services. As market leaders, we at Airtel are deeply committed to delivering the best data experience for smartphone users and making continued network investments to help us realize the vast potential of this data opportunity. We are happy to further extend our long term association with Nokia Networks towards innovating our network's service delivery mechanism and deliver a host of multi-media apps as well as services for Airtel customers. We see this association underscoring Airtel's constant focus on building a world-class, next-generation smartphone network for its customers"

Sandeep Girotra, Vice President and Head of India Market, Nokia Networks, said: "The strong traction in India's 3G market, driven by the rising demand for data-intensive apps and services, is the primary impetus behind Bharti Airtel's 3G expansion initiatives with Nokia Networks. With this project, we have further strengthened Bharti's 3G proposition in 8 business-critical circles in India including 5 new circles, adding yet another dimension to ourcollaboration which continues to gain momentum with such strategic engagements."

Click here for a photo of Nokia's Flexi Multiradio 10 Base Station.

Did you know? 
Nokia Networks' MBit Index study, an annual report on mobile broadband performance in India, revealed that the 74% increase in mobile data traffic in 2014 was primarily driven by strong 3G growth with a 114% increase, while 2G growth was reported to be 41%. In 2014, the growth of mobile broadband traffic in India prompted many operators to expand their 3G and 4G networks. Nokia Networks, with its latest Single RAN (radio access network) Advanced platform had helped Bharti Airtel to expand their 3G networks across several circles in India.

Resources:

• Website: Zero emission
• Blog: Green is the color of the OSS cloud
• Blog: Two thousand and fifteen cheers to Technology Vision 2020
• YouTube: Nokia Single RAN Advanced - The future just got simpler
• Awards

About Bharti Airtel
Bharti Airtel Limited is a leading global telecommunications company with operations in 20 countries across Asia and Africa. Headquartered in New Delhi, India, the company ranks amongst the top 4 mobile service providers globally in terms of subscribers. In India, the company's product offerings include 2G, 3G and 4G wireless services, mobile commerce, fixed line services, high speed DSL broadband, IPTV, DTH, enterprise services including national & international long distance services to carriers. In the rest of the geographies, it offers 2G, 3G and 4G wireless services and mobile commerce. Bharti Airtel had over 326 million customers across its operations at the end of April 2015. To know more please visit, www.airtel.com

About Nokia
By focusing on the human possibilities of technology, Nokia embraces the connected world to help people thrive. Our three businesses are leaders in their fields. Nokia Networks provides broadband infrastructure software and services, HERE provides mapping, navigation and location intelligence, and Nokia Technologies provides advanced technology development and licensing.
www.nokia.com

Nokia Networks, which provides broadband infrastructure, software and services, operates at the forefront of our industry. From the first ever call on GSM to the first call on LTE, we have set the pace of innovation, a record that continues with future technologies such as 5G. Together with our operator customers, who serve close to 5 billion subscribers, we are embracing the opportunity of the connected world and helping to solve its challenges.
http://networks.nokia.com/

* India's telecommunications market is divided into 22 sub-regions, also referred to as circles.

BlackBerry Announces Common Share Purchase Program

Source: BlackBerry - Press Releases - June 25, 2015

Waterloo, ON – June 25, 2015 - BlackBerry Limited (NASDAQ: BBRY; TSX: BB), a world leader in mobile communications, today provided an update on its planned share repurchase program to purchase for cancellation up to 12 million BlackBerry common shares, or approximately 2.5% of the outstanding public float. BlackBerry can purchase the common shares over the Nasdaq Stock Market or, subject to regulatory approval, on the Toronto Stock Exchange (the “TSX”) or alternative Canadian trading platforms. As of June 22, 2015, BlackBerry had 529,487,374 common shares outstanding, the public float was 464,726,304 common shares and the average daily trading volume for the 6 months prior to May 31, 2015 was 2,314,477. BlackBerry has filed a notice of intention to commence a normal course issuer bid with the TSX. Daily purchases will be limited to 578,619 common shares, other than block purchases. The purchases may commence on June 29, 2015 and will terminate on June 28, 2016 or on such earlier date as BlackBerry may complete its purchases pursuant to the notice of intention. In the past 12 months, BlackBerry has not repurchased any of its outstanding securities.

On June 23, 2015, the shareholders of BlackBerry approved a new employee share purchase plan and an increase in the number of shares available under BlackBerry’s equity incentive plan. “As we’ve previously indicated, the purpose of this repurchase program is to offset dilution from our new employee share purchase plan and amended equity incentive plan,” said BlackBerry Executive Chairman and CEO, John Chen. “We intend to take advantage of our strong cash position to purchase our shares when the market price does not reflect what we view to be the underlying value and future prospects of our business, without adversely affecting our strategic initiatives,” added Mr. Chen.

The price that BlackBerry will pay for any shares under the share repurchase program will be the prevailing market price at the time of purchase. The share repurchase program will be effected in accordance with Rule 10b-18 under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the TSX’s normal course issuer bid rules, which contain restrictions on the number of shares that may be purchased on a single day, subject to certain exceptions for block purchases, based on the average daily trading volumes of BlackBerry’s shares on the applicable exchange. In addition, subject to TSX approval, BlackBerry may enter into forward purchase or swap contracts in connection with common shares which may be settled by physical settlement, cash settlement or a combination thereof. The forward price will be based on market price, dividend yield and market interest rates.

The actual number of shares to be purchased and the timing and pricing of any purchases under the share repurchase program will depend on future market conditions and upon potential alternative uses for cash resources. There is no assurance that any shares will be purchased under the share repurchase program and BlackBerry may elect to modify, suspend or discontinue the program at any time without prior notice.

About BlackBerry

BlackBerry is one of the world's most trusted and leading providers of technology platforms for secure productivity. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, BlackBerry operates offices in North America, Europe, 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.

First LTE-Advanced in UAE with Nokia Networks and du

Source: Nokia - Press Releases - June 24, 2015

• Data speeds up to 225 Mbps

• Combines 1800 and 800 MHz FDD-LTE bands 

Dubai, UAE - Nokia Networks enabled du, the Middle East's fastest growing telecommunications service provider, to launch the first LTE-A (LTE-Advanced) services in the UAE. For launching LTE-A services on its 4G network, du used Nokia Networks' advanced radio platform Flexi Multiradio 10 Base Station, carrier aggregation software, and professional services, combining FDD-LTE bands 1800 MHz and 800 MHz.

Combining the wide coverage of a low band with the capacity of a high band provides the most efficient use of frequencies and superb coverage indoors and outdoors - allowing higher performance everywhere with peak data speed of up to 225 Mbps for customers.

Click to Tweet: MEA-first LTE-A network @dutweets is powered by @nokianetworks to achieve 225 Mbps speed http://nokia.ly/1NggHyA#NetworksPerform

Saleem AlBlooshi, Executive Vice President, Network Development and Operations, du, said: "This milestone underscores our global standing as a frontrunner in introducing latest mobile broadband technologies in the UAE. We timed it with the availability of CAT-6 smartphones* in the UAE, so that our customers can immediately enjoy higher download speeds with increased throughput and coverage. In addition, with this achievement we will be able to help the government realize its Smart City vision."

Tony Awad, Head of du Customer Team at Nokia Networks, said: "This feat is a great example of how we help ambitious telecom service providers such as du address the ever-increasing demand for faster data speeds by taking advantage of existing spectrum. Our carrier aggregation solution helps du's customers access wireless next generation data services across the UAE."

Solution at a glance:

• Nokia Networks' commercial Single RAN Advanced hardware, including theFlexi Multiradio 10 Base Station for high-capacity throughput
• Software to aggregate FDD-LTE bands 1800 and 800 MHz
• Multi-layer radio network optimization and modernization of existing hardware

Did you know?

• du commercially launched LTE on 1800 MHz in June 2012 and successfully tested VoLTE on its commercial LTE network in August 2014. du demonstrated VoLTE calls during GITEX 2014; commercial launch is expected by Q2 2015.
• Also during GITEX 2014, du demonstrated LTE-A, delivering 900 Mbps over its LTE network by combining three carriers with MIMO 4x4. In July 2014, du tested LTE-A with carrier aggregation on its commercial network with 300 Mbps peak throughput by combining FDD-LTE bands 1800 MHz and 800 MHz. 

Resources:

• Blog: Nokia makes LTE-A Carrier Aggregation faster everywhere
• Webinar: Grow capacity
• Whitepaper: LTE-Advanced Evolution (Rel. 12-14)
• Whitepaper: LTE-Advanced (Rel. 12 and beyond)
• Whitepaper: LTE-Advanced (focus on Rel. 10)
• Infographic: LTE-A Carrier Aggregation
• Infographic: LTE-A Carrier Aggregation
• Youtube: Nokia LTE-A Carrier Aggregation
• Insight newsletter: How to make LTE-A even more advanced
• Awards

Connect with Nokia Networks:

 TAGS: LTE-Advanced, LTE-A, next generation data services, spectrum, carrier aggregation, du, Nokia Networks, Smart City

About du
We started operating in 2007, offering mobile and fixed telephony, broadband connectivity and IPTV services. Today, we serve more than 7.5 million individual customers and over 80,000 businesses in the UAE. We also provide carrier services for businesses and satellite up/downlink services for TV broadcasters.

We won the Gallup Great Workplace Award. Our recruitment strategy aims to provide fulfilling opportunities for quality talent in a cosmopolitan working environment where more than 60 nationalities work 35% of which are Emiratis. We are the first telecom company in the world to release a Sustainability Report based on GRI-G4 comprehensive guidelines. Among our other laurels, we also have the credit of being the first in the UAE to be awarded with prestigious LEED Platinum certification for 2 of our green retail outlet.

du is 39.5 percent owned by Emirates Investment Authority, 20.08 percent by Mubadala Development Company PJSC, 19.5 percent by Emirates Communications and Technology LLC and the remaining by public shareholders. Listed on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM), the company trades under the name 'du'.

About Nokia
By focusing on the human possibilities of technology, Nokia embraces the connected world to help people thrive. Our three businesses are leaders in their fields. Nokia Networks provides broadband infrastructure software and services, HERE provides mapping, navigation and location intelligence, and Nokia Technologies provides advanced technology development and licensing.www.nokia.com

Nokia Networks, which provides broadband infrastructure, software and services, operates at the forefront of our industry. From the first ever call on GSM to the first call on LTE, we have set the pace of innovation, a record that continues with future technologies such as 5G. Together with our operator customers, who serve close to 5 billion subscribers, we are embracing the opportunity of the connected world and helping to solve its challenges.
http://networks.nokia.com/

Notes:
* CAT-6 LTE handsets support carrier aggregation and data rates of up to 300 Mbps.

HERE takes step to accelerate development of live map for cars

Source: Nokia - Press Releases - June 23, 2015

Berlin, Germany - HERE, a leader in mapping, navigation and location experiences, has published an interface specification that defines how sensor data gathered by vehicles on the road can be ingested by a cloud. The aim of this step is to support the automotive industry in accelerating the deployment of technologies that improve road safety and ease traffic congestion, such as connected Electronic Horizon and automated driving.

According to a recent forecast from automotive technology research firm SBD, by 2020 there will be some 33 million vehicles sold annually with built-in connectivity, generating more than 163 million terabytes of data each year via their dozens of on-board cameras and sensor technologies. When shared across the road network, this data can be utilized by vehicles to give them an awareness of road conditions beyond the reach of their sensors, and thus enable the driver or the vehicle itself to better plan driving maneuvers. In order to be efficiently useable, the data shared should be intelligible to other vehicles, and thus it ideally should pass through the cloud in a standard format.

In view of that need, HERE, which is developing location cloud technology for automated vehicles, has published a sensor data ingestion interface specification for the automotive industry to utilize. HERE intends for this interface specification, made available through a creative commons license, to become a standardized way for vehicles to send to the cloud the rich variety of data gathered by their on-board sensors. With a standard interface specification, the data generated would be analogous regardless of vehicle manufacturer and could be pooled, processed and analyzed quickly to create a detailed live view of road and traffic conditions.

HERE is already discussing the interface specification with certain leading automakers, and intends to invite other industry peers to discuss the specification this summer. More information about the interface specification can be accessed on the Automotive section of the HERE website.  

"Your car generates a wealth of data about road and traffic conditions which will be very helpful to other cars driving behind you," said Dietmar Rabel, who heads product management for the automated driving program at HERE. "By uniting around a single data specification, we can improve our collective abilities to gain a better overall understanding from the data collected. It will mean fewer accidents and less time spent in traffic. It also moves the industry closer to the goal of cars that can drive themselves."

The data generated from sensors on board modern vehicles can be used to warn others of possible dangers, including icy roads or a spill, sudden braking or traffic build up, an accident, or an animal or object on the road. Data can also be used to verify and enhance map data and attributes, provide warnings of poor road infrastructure like potholes as well as construction. With cloud technology this data can also be utilized for new dynamic and personalized services.

The HERE location platform applies data fusion and crowdsourcing for the extremely challenging task of deriving useful information from a huge volume of vehicle sensor data. The platform ensures the robustness of data it sources to enable a car to effectively 'see around the corner' and avoid an accident. Achieving the highest possible confidence level requires continuous near real-time processing of large streams of very diverse data which are then fused with map, traffic, incident, weather and other data. For information to become actionable and made known to other vehicles on the road, it would typically have to evolve through multiple layers of information extraction hierarchy. HERE has already implemented a next generation engine for real-time traffic and in doing so has gained significant expertise to apply similar technology for road events relevant to highly automated driving.

As is the case with its other products and services, HERE has built data anonymization into its sensor data ingestion interface specification, meaning that the location data generated by vehicles are anonymous unless drivers opt-in to sharing personal identifier information in order to benefit from additional personalized services.

To know more about the vision of HERE for autonomous cars and read the full interview with Dietmar Rabel, visit HERE 360.

About HERE
HERE, a Nokia company, is a leader in navigation, mapping and location experiences. We build high-definition (HD) maps and combine them with cloud technology to enable rich, real-time location experiences in a broad range of connected devices - from smartphones and tablets to wearables and vehicles. To learn more about us, including our work in the areas of connected and autonomous driving, visit http://360.here.com.

BlackBerry and Cisco Sign Broad Patent Cross-Licensing Agreement

Source: BlackBerry - Press Releases - June 23, 2015

Waterloo, Ontario and San Jose, CA – June 23, 2015 – BlackBerry Limited (NASDAQ: BBRY; TSX: BB) and Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) today announced that they have entered into a long-term patent cross-licensing agreement covering their respective products and technologies.

As part of the cross-licensing agreement, BlackBerry will receive a license fee from Cisco. Specific terms of the deal are confidential.

“Our agreement with Cisco underscores the value companies place on BlackBerry’s broad and foundational patent portfolio,” said Dr. Mark Kokes, Vice President of Intellectual Property and Licensing, BlackBerry. “With the agreement in place, BlackBerry and Cisco can focus on innovation and continued technical cooperation, allowing our companies more freedom to create leading products and services for customers without the potential for patent disputes.”

“Cross-licensing is an effective way for technology companies to assure freedom of operation and help remove concerns about patent litigation,” said Dan Lang, Vice President of Intellectual Property, Cisco. “This agreement recognizes Cisco’s patent portfolio, one that is regularly rated among the strongest in the telecommunications and networking industry. We look forward to continuing to innovate to meet the needs of our respective customers.” 

BlackBerry and Cisco have a long history of technical cooperation and intend to further collaborate under this agreement.

About BlackBerry

A global leader in mobile communications, BlackBerry® revolutionized the mobile industry when it was introduced in 1999. Today, BlackBerry aims to inspire the success of our millions of customers around the world by continuously pushing the boundaries of mobile experiences. 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 Cisco

Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in IT that helps companies seize the opportunities of tomorrow by proving that amazing things can happen when you connect the previously unconnected. For ongoing news please go to http://thenetwork.cisco.com.

BlackBerry Appoints Dr. Laurie Smaldone Alsup to the Board of Directors

Source: BlackBerry - Press Releases - June 23, 2015

Waterloo, ON – BlackBerry Limited (NASDAQ: BBRY; TSX: BB), a global leader in mobile communications, today announced that it has appointed Laurie Smaldone Alsup, M.D., President and Chief Scientific Officer of PharmApprove, to the Company’s Board of Directors, with effect as of the end of BlackBerry’s annual and special shareholder meeting today. Dr. Smaldone Alsup will also serve as a member of the audit and risk management committee of the Board of Directors, taking over from current director Claudia Kotchka, who is not standing for re-election at the shareholder meeting.

“I am pleased to welcome Dr. Laurie Smaldone Alsup to our Board of Directors. Dr. Smaldone Alsup’s expertise in the pharmaceutical industry aligns very well with our focus on regulated industries, and will be a great benefit to BlackBerry and to the Board,” said John Chen, Executive Chairman and CEO of BlackBerry.

With the addition of Dr. Smaldone Alsup, the Company’s Board of Directors remains at seven members, six of whom are independent members.

Dr. Smaldone Alsup has 25 years of executive leadership experience in drug development, regulatory strategy, and regulatory approvals in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. She is President and Chief Scientific Officer of PharmApprove, a strategic, regulatory, and scientific communications consultancy to the pharmaceutical and biotech industries in the US, Canada and Europe. She previously served in clinical and regulatory roles of increasing responsibility and scope while at Bristol Myers Squibb, including Senior Vice President of Global Regulatory Science, Vice President of Infectious Diseases Clinical Research, and also as Director of Cancer Clinical Research. She has led the development and commercialization of drugs for life threatening and chronic diseases including cancer, HIV/AIDS, viral and bacterial infection, cardiovascular, endocrine, neuroscience, dermatology, inflammatory and immune-based diseases. In addition, she served as CEO of Phytomedics, an early stage biopharmaceutical company focused on arthritis and inflammation.

Dr. Smaldone Alsup received her M.D. degree at Yale University, where she completed her residency in Internal Medicine and fellowship in Medical Oncology.

About BlackBerry

A global leader in mobile communications, BlackBerry® revolutionized the mobile industry when it was introduced in 1999. Today, BlackBerry aims to inspire the success of our millions of customers around the world by continuously pushing the boundaries of mobile experiences. 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.

BlackBerry Announces Elections Results For The Companys Board of Directors

Source: BlackBerry - Press Releases - June 23, 2015

Waterloo, ON – BlackBerry® (Nasdaq: BBRY; TSX:BB) announced today that the six nominees listed in the Company’s management information circular dated May 11, 2015 for the Company’s annual and special meeting of shareholders held on June 23, 2015, were elected as directors to serve until the next annual meeting of shareholders of the Company or until their successors are elected or appointed. The detailed results of the vote are set out below.

Nominee	Votes For	% Votes For	Votes Withheld	% Votes Withheld
John Chen	221,679,569	96.24	8,670,140	3.76
Michael Daniels	219,022,127	95.20	11,031,582	4.80
Timothy Dattels	216,830,306	94.13	13,519,403	5.87
Richard Lynch	215,981,928	93.88	14,071,781	6.12
Barbara Stymiest	218,377,409	94.92	11,676,300	5.08
Prem Watsa	209,408,805	90.91	20,940,904	9.09

About BlackBerry
A global leader in mobile communications, BlackBerry® revolutionized the mobile industry when it was introduced in 1999. Today, BlackBerry aims to inspire the success of our millions of customers around the world by continuously pushing the boundaries of mobile experiences. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, BlackBerry operates offices in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. BlackBerry is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market (NASDAQ: BBRY) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX:BB). For more information, visit www.blackberry.com