BBM Named Publisher/Media Company of the Year by Mobile Marketing Association

Source: BlackBerry - Press Releases - October 29, 2015

Industry award recognizes growing strength of BBM as a mobile advertising platform in Indonesia  

Jakarta, Indonesia – October 29, 2015 – BlackBerry Limited (NASDAQ: BBRY; TSX: BB), a global leader in secure mobile communications, today announced that BBM® has been named Publisher/Media Company of the Year in Mobile – winning a prestigious Industry Award at the 2015 Mobile Marketing Association (MMA)’s  Indonesia ‘Smartie’ awards.

Matthew Talbot, SVP, BBM, BlackBerry, said: “This award is important for BBM, because it shows the mobile marketing and advertising community recognizes how successfully we have transitioned BBM from its roots as a chat application, creating a true ecosystem that brings together social, ads, content and commerce. We are a new kid on the block when it comes to media and advertising – but from turning on our first direct Native Ad last July and then Video in September this year, we are now generating more than one billion ad requests per day. We’re very grateful to the MMA for recognizing that achievement, and are excited to continue our journey, working closely with brands and ad partners to maximize the value they can generate by leveraging their content through BBM.” 

The MMA is a leading global non-profit trade association representing the mobile marketing ecosystem, charged with accelerating the transformation and innovation of marketing through mobile. The MMA Smarties Awards is the world’s only global mobile marketing awards program honoring innovation, creativity, and success – highlighting the teams and talent that push the boundaries of mobile marketing to reach and engage with consumers.

Rohit Dadwal, Managing Director, Mobile Marketing Association Asia Pacific Limited, said: “We’re delighted that the jury nominated and selected BBM as an Industry Award winner in the mobile publishing and Media Company field.  Mobile is the most compelling, accurate, and inclusive marketing practice today. Moreover, real-time social and messaging apps like BBM have rapidly emerged as a top priority in every marketer’s campaign – one of the key criteria that the jury discussed while awarding this category. BBM has emerged as having a formidable advertising platform strategy, showing creativity, innovation, and impressive results in a short time. We look forward to watching BBM continue to evolve as a leading mobile marketing platform.”

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.

Samsung Brings Unique Business-Focused Wearable Apps and Enterprise Solutions to Oracle OpenWorld 2015

Source: Samsung Mobile Press - Press Releases - October 28, 2015

Samsung and Oracle collaborate to offer businesses new ways to efficiently develop increased functionality and a seamless mobile experience

SEOUL, Korea (October 23, 2015) －－ At Oracle OpenWorld 2015, Samsung Electronics is showcasing premier enterprise solutions created for Samsung’s best-in-market mobile devices and developed on Oracle’s industry-leading architecture. Together, Samsung and Oracle are improving the end-user experience by delivering solutions unique to Samsung devices, which extend Oracle’s Mobile Cloud Services and are available globally.

From smartphones to tablets to wearables, Samsung and Oracle are driving enterprise mobility and making professionals more productive. The new Cordova plug-in for Samsung developers, also on display at OpenWorld, makes enterprise app development easier through the packaging of key APIs for the best Android business experience on the market. The Cordova plug-in integrates perfectly into Oracle’s developer tools, while granting access to Samsung’s unrivaled hardware features such as multi-window and S Pen.

“As two of the world’s leading drivers of enterprise mobility, Samsung and Oracle are positioned to deliver an unrivaled user experience that pushes the boundaries of productivity in the workplace,” said Rick Segal, vice president of Samsung Electronics Enterprise Business Team. “Our alliance with Oracle is not only powering professionals and businesses through mobility, but also enabling developers and systems integrators to produce unique enterprise solutions that help organizations reach new levels of growth and success.”

All enterprise solutions presented by Samsung at Oracle OpenWorld are immediately available for incorporation into the daily professional environment. Examples include solutions from systems integrators such as HCL and AuraPlayer, which will be displayed on a range of devices including the Galaxy S6 edge and Galaxy Tab A. HCL’s predictive maintenance solution allows the management of machinery and heavy equipment that typically crated a backlog of paper files. AuraPlayer’s collision reporting system enables rapid entry of critical incidents so that transportation authorities can take immediate action.

Wearables are the next generation of innovation in business, and Samsung will highlight several use cases of wearables at Oracle OpenWorld. Australian business solutions provider Rinami built a field asset management tool specifically designed to work with wearables, which will be demoed on the Samsung Gear S2. Australian Agricultural Company, one of the largest producers of wagyu beef, worked with Rinami to create a wearable app that improved livestock management. Instead of carrying cumbersome laptops and field notebooks, ranchers are able to collect data, interpret in the field and make actionable decisions through their mobile device app for dramatic increases in production.

Also, visitors to Oracle OpenWorld can learn about the Samsung Enterprise Alliance Program (SEAP). SEAP is the program highlighting a wide range of global enterprise partners and developers to provide business customers with differentiated solutions built on Samsung mobile devices.

Collaboration with Oracle is a part of Samsung’s continued efforts to expedite key mobile application development for enterprises such as the recent Samsung Business Services’ work in the U.S. in the areas of workforce management and business tasks.

Oracle OpenWorld takes place at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, CA from October 26 to 28. Samsung will be providing live demos and guided tours at its Networking Station @ Mobile Showcase in the South Hall, booth 1221.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies, redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, cameras, digital appliances, printers, medical equipment, network systems and semiconductors and LED solutions. We are also leading in the Internet of Things space through, among others, Smart Home and Digital Health initiatives. We employ 319,000 people across 84 countries with annual sales of US $196 billion. To discover more, please visit our official website at www.samsung.com and our official blog at global.samsungtomorrow.com.

Samsung Electronics Invites European Consumers to Take a "10 Minute Break" with Galaxy Accessories

Source: Samsung Mobile Press - Press Releases - October 28, 2015

Experiential marketing campaign showcases how Samsung’s accessories enhance and complement the Galaxy mobile experience

SEOUL, Korea – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., today announced “10 Minute Break,” a groundbreaking experiential marketing campaign designed to demonstrate how Samsung’s line of accessories for Galaxy devices can offer a unique break from people’s hectic daily lives. The campaign will provide consumers with an immersive product experience aboard double-decker buses outfitted with Samsung’s flagship accessories in Europe.

“We are thrilled to provide consumers across Europe with a unique mobile experience in an immersive and entertaining setting,” said Younghee Lee, Executive Vice President of Global Marketing, IT & Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. “Through our ‘10 Minute Break’ campaign, consumers will be able to unlock fun and engaging moments with Samsung’s newest mobile accessories.”

The bus routes include stops at landmarks and city centers across Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom. The campaign begins on October 27 and lasts through December 6.

The double-decker bus has been designed to create a relaxing environment to allow consumers to fully enjoy a break from their busy lives. When consumers arrive at the bus, they can take a “lifestyle quiz” on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 to determine their own curated product experience among three lifestyle designations that include “Entrepreneur,” “Style Icon,” and “Pioneer.” Once consumers receive their bus ticket, they will be guided through a hands-on experience at the product showcase area based on their chosen lifestyle. The showcase features the Samsung Fast Charge Wireless Chargers and Battery Packs, LEVEL Audio products, Brand collaboration cases and the Gear S2.

Consumers will also be treated to wireless charging at the Power Bar, and be able to enjoy a refreshing juice. A unique audio and visual experience in the LEVEL Theatre will also allow consumers to further enjoy the high quality sound music using LEVEL headphones.

Consumers can follow the campaign through its duration with the #10minBreak hashtag on Twitter.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies, redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, cameras, digital appliances, printers, medical equipment, network systems and semiconductors and LED solutions. We are also leading in the Internet of Things space through, among others, Smart Home and Digital Health initiatives. We employ 319,000 people across 84 countries with annual sales of US $196 billion. To discover more, please visit our official website at www.samsung.com and our official blog at global.samsungtomorrow.com.

Note to Editor :
Destinations include as below.

Germany :Munich: Oct 27 – Oct 29
Frankfurt: Oct 31 - Nov 3
Berlin: Nov 5 - Nov 8

Poland :Wroclaw: Nov 17 - Nov 22
Lodz: Nov 24 - Nov 29

United Kingdom :Chertsey: Nov 10
Manchester: Nov 12 - Nov 13
Liverpool: Nov 14 - Nov 15
London: Nov 16 - Nov 29
Kent: Dec 1 - Dec 2
Birmingham: Dec 4 - Dec 6

"10 Minute Break" bus at Munich Airport Center Square 

Taking a look at some of the Samsung Galaxy accessories by the "10 Minute Break" bus 

Customers received their “10 Minute Break” bus ticket and fun Galaxy gifts for hash-tagging #10minBreak 

Experiencing UHQ Audio Sound with LEVEL on Wireless Pro in the LEVEL Theatre on the "10 Minute Break" bus

Apple Reports Record Fourth Quarter Results

Source: Apple - Press Releases - October 27, 2015

iPhone, Apple Watch & App Store Drive Revenue Growth of 22%

CUPERTINO, California — October 27, 2015 — Apple® today announced financial results for its fiscal 2015 fourth quarter ended September 26, 2015. The Company posted quarterly revenue of $51.5 billion and quarterly net profit of $11.1 billion, or $1.96 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $42.1 billion and net profit of $8.5 billion, or $1.42 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 39.9 percent compared to 38 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 62 percent of the quarter’s revenue.

The growth was fueled by record fourth quarter sales of iPhone®, the expanded availability of Apple Watch®, and all-time records for Mac® sales and revenue from services.

“Fiscal 2015 was Apple’s most successful year ever, with revenue growing 28% to nearly $234 billion. This continued success is the result of our commitment to making the best, most innovative products on earth, and it’s a testament to the tremendous execution by our teams,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “We are heading into the holidays with our strongest product lineup yet, including iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, Apple Watch with an expanded lineup of cases and bands, the new iPad Pro and the all-new Apple TV which begins shipping this week.”

“Apple’s record September quarter results drove earnings per share growth of 38% and operating cash flow of $13.5 billion,” said Luca Maestri, Apple’s CFO. “We returned $17 billion to our investors during the quarter through share repurchases and dividends, and we have now completed over $143 billion of our $200 billion capital return program.”

Apple is providing the following guidance for its fiscal 2016 first quarter:

• revenue between $75.5 billion and $77.5 billion
• gross margin between 39 percent and 40 percent
• operating expenses between $6.3 billion and $6.4 billion
• other income/(expense) of $400 million
• tax rate of 26.2 percent

Apple’s board of directors has declared a cash dividend of $.52 per share of the Company’s common stock. The dividend is payable on November 12, 2015, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on November 9, 2015.

Apple will provide live streaming of its Q4 2015 financial results conference call beginning at 2:00 p.m. PDT on October 27, 2015 at www.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/earningsq415. This webcast will also be available for replay for approximately two weeks thereafter.

This press release contains forward-looking statements including without limitation those about the Company’s estimated revenue, gross margin, operating expenses, other income/(expense), and tax rate. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ. Risks and uncertainties include without limitation the effect of competitive and economic factors, and the Company’s reaction to those factors, on consumer and business buying decisions with respect to the Company’s products; continued competitive pressures in the marketplace; the ability of the Company to deliver to the marketplace and stimulate customer demand for new programs, products, and technological innovations on a timely basis; the effect that product introductions and transitions, changes in product pricing or mix, and/or increases in component costs could have on the Company’s gross margin; the inventory risk associated with the Company’s need to order or commit to order product components in advance of customer orders; the continued availability on acceptable terms, or at all, of certain components and services essential to the Company’s business currently obtained by the Company from sole or limited sources; the effect that the Company’s dependency on manufacturing and logistics services provided by third parties may have on the quality, quantity or cost of products manufactured or services rendered; risks associated with the Company’s international operations; the Company’s reliance on third-party intellectual property and digital content; the potential impact of a finding that the Company has infringed on the intellectual property rights of others; the Company’s dependency on the performance of distributors, carriers and other resellers of the Company’s products; the effect that product and service quality problems could have on the Company’s sales and operating profits; the continued service and availability of key executives and employees; war, terrorism, public health issues, natural disasters, and other circumstances that could disrupt supply, delivery, or demand of products; and unfavorable results of legal proceedings. More information on potential factors that could affect the Company’s financial results is included from time to time in the “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections of the Company’s public reports filed with the SEC, including the Company’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 27, 2014, its Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended December 27, 2014, its Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 28, 2015, its Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended June 27, 2015, and its Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 26, 2015 to be filed with the SEC. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements or information, which speak as of their respective dates.

Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, the Mac and Apple Watch. Apple’s three software platforms — iOS, OS X and watchOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay and iCloud. Apple’s 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.

BlackBerry Appoints Narendra Nayak as Managing Director, India

Source: BlackBerry - Press Releases - October 27, 2015

New Delhi, India – BlackBerry Limited (NASDAQ: BBRY; TSX: BB), a global leader in secure mobile communications, today announced that it has appointed Narendra Nayak as its new Managing Director in India.

Based in New Delhi, Mr. Nayak will be responsible for driving BlackBerry’s software and services business through all channels in India – direct enterprise customers, network operators, distribution partners and BlackBerry’s growing ecosystem of indirect channels in India, which include Value-Added Reseller (VAR), Systems Integrator and Reseller partners.

Mr. Nayak has over 30 years’ experience in IT & Telecom business management.  He joins BlackBerry from venture-funded software company Linguanext Technologies, where he was responsible for growing the business in India and across South East Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Prior to Linguanext, Mr. Nayak held executive roles at organizations including CSC, IBM, Motorola and Digital Equipment India.

Carl Wiese, President, Global Sales, BlackBerry, said: “Narendra joins us at a pivotal time, as we continue to transform our business from one fueled by the sale of smartphones, into the leading enterprise software provider focused on cross-platform mobile security and productivity. These are exciting times for BlackBerry in India, and I look forward to Narendra motivating our team and driving our business in the market forwards.”

Narendra Nayak, Managing Director – India, BlackBerry, said: I am excited to join BlackBerry, a brand synonymous with mobile security. I look forward to building our business here in India by ensuring we are helping enterprise and government organizations select and implement an end-to-end mobile security strategy – whatever the device or devices they are using.”  

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.

FY 15 Fourth Quarter Results Conference Call

Source: Apple - Press Releases - October 23, 2015

WHAT: Apple® FY 15 Fourth Quarter Results Conference Call

WHERE: Via conference call. The dial-in numbers for press are (855) 371-1642 (toll-free), (719) 219-0037 or (816) 581-1577. Please enter confirmation code 333778.

WHEN: Tuesday, October 27, 2015, 2:00 p.m. PDT/5:00 p.m. EDT

REBROADCAST: The conference call will be available as a continuous rebroadcast beginning Tuesday, October 27 at 5:00 p.m. PDT/8:00 p.m. EDT through Tuesday, November 10 at 5:00 p.m. PST/8:00 p.m. EST. The dial-in number for the rebroadcast is (888) 203-1112 (toll-free) or (719) 457-0820. Please enter confirmation code 795707.

WEBCAST: Apple will provide live audio streaming of its FY 15 Fourth Quarter Results Conference Call using Apple’s industry-leading HTTP Live Streaming software. The live webcast will begin at 2:00 p.m. PDT on Tuesday, October 27 at http://www.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/earningsq415 and will also be available for replay for approximately two weeks thereafter. Live audio streaming requires an iPhone®, iPad® or iPod touch® with Safari® on iOS 7.0 or later, a Mac® with Safari 6.0.5 or later on OS X® v10.8.5 or later or a PC with Microsoft Edge on Windows 10.

This recording is the property of Apple and protected by US copyright law and international treaties. Any reproduction or distribution is strictly prohibited without prior written approval from Apple. Please contact Apple Public Relations or Investor Relations with any questions.

Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, the Mac and Apple Watch. Apple’s three software platforms — iOS, OS X and watchOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay and iCloud. Apple’s 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.

Apple Launches New Clean Energy Programs in China To Promote Low-Carbon Manufacturing and Green Growth

Source: Apple - Press Releases - October 22, 2015

Apple Now Generating Clean Energy for 100% of its Operations in China

BEIJING — October 22, 2015 — Apple® today announced two new programs aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of its manufacturing partners in China. The programs will avoid over 20 million metric tons of greenhouse gas pollution in the country between now and 2020, equivalent to taking nearly 4 million passenger vehicles off the road for one year.

Apple also announced that construction on 40 megawatts of solar projects in the Sichuan Province is now complete. These solar installations produce more than the total amount of electricity used by Apple’s offices and retail stores in China, making Apple's operations carbon neutral in China.

“Climate change is one of the great challenges of our time, and the time for action is now,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “The transition to a new green economy requires innovation, ambition and purpose. We believe passionately in leaving the world better than we found it and hope that many other suppliers, partners and other companies join us in this important effort.”

First, Apple is significantly expanding its clean-energy investments in China. Apple plans to build more than 200 megawatts of solar projects in the northern, eastern and southern grid regions of China, which will produce the equivalent of the energy used by more by than 265,000 Chinese homes in a year and will begin to offset the energy used in Apple’s supply chain.

Second, Apple is launching a new initiative to drive its manufacturing partners to become more energy efficient and to use clean energy for their manufacturing operations. Apple will partner with suppliers in China to install more than 2 gigawatts of new clean energy in the coming years.

Apple also will share best practices in procuring clean energy and building high-quality renewable energy projects, and provide hands-on assistance to some suppliers in areas like energy efficiency audits, regulatory guidance and building strong partnerships to bring new clean energy projects to China.

As part of Apple’s industry-leading program, Foxconn will construct 400 megawatts of solar, starting in the Henan Province, by 2018. Foxconn has committed to generate as much clean energy as its Zhengzhou factory consumes in final production of iPhone.

“We are excited to embark on this initiative with Apple. Our companies share a vision for driving sustainability and I hope that this renewable energy project will serve as a catalyst for continued efforts to promote a greener ecosystem in our industry and beyond,” said Terry Gou, founder and CEO of Foxconn Technology Group. “Sustainability is a core pillar in Foxconn’s strategy and we are committed to investing in green manufacturing.”

“Being responsible, protecting air and water, and driving clean energy are at the heart of Apple’s commitment to China,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives. “These projects go beyond Apple’s operations in China to help our suppliers adopt clean renewable energy.”

Apple has taken significant steps to protect the environment by transitioning from fossil fuels to clean energy. Today the company is powering 100 percent of its operations in China and the US, and more than 87 percent of its worldwide operations, with renewable energy.

Learn more about Apple’s environmental efforts at www.apple.com/environment.

Apple in China
Apple operates 19 corporate offices and 24 retail stores in Greater China, directly employing 10,000 people. In total, Apple has helped create and support over 4.4 million jobs in China, including at least 1.4 million iOS app developer jobs and other positions related to the iOS ecosystem.
Developers in China have earned more than $4 billion through the worldwide sale of apps on the App Store®, with over half of that amount paid in the last 12 months alone.

Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, the Mac and Apple Watch. Apple’s three software platforms — iOS, OS X and watchOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay and iCloud. Apple’s 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.

Colombia's Office of the Attorney General Chooses BES12 for Secure Cross-Platform Enterprise Mobility Management

Source: BlackBerry - Press Releases - October 19, 2015

Bogota, Colombia – October 19, 2015 – BlackBerry Limited (NASDAQ: BBRY; TSX: BB), a global leader in secure mobile communications, today announced that Fiscalía General de la Nación de Colombia, the Office of the Attorney General in Colombia, has selected BES®12: a multi-OS EMM solution by BlackBerry for improved performance, control and security of the institution’s mobile communications.

BES12 centralizes device management from one unified console and seamlessly supports iOS®, Android™ (including a wide range of Samsung KNOX and Android for Work smartphones and tablets), Windows Phone®, and BlackBerry® smartphones. Fiscalía General de la Nación de Colombia (FGN) upgraded its 2,000 BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 licenses to BES12 in order to have the ability to manage the growing BYOD trend inside the company in a secure manner.

"Part of the Fiscalia’s mission is to develop and implement innovative tools of technology and communication to guarantee the independence, autonomy and access to justice for our constituents,” said Mr. Johny Montoya, Technology Media and Communications Coordinator of the CTI National Direction at FGN. “By choosing BES12 as our EMM provider, we ensure we’re at the forefront of security and productivity. BES12 allows us to securely access institutional information from anywhere to offer citizens efficient and prompt administration of justice.”

“Fiscalia General de la Nación de Colombia handles sensitive information on a daily basis and requires that their institutional data remains secure, while also giving their team members choice in the device they want to use,” said Joao Stricker, Managing Director, LATAM Enterprise at BlackBerry. “BES12 is the only EMM solution that offers secure and flexible management of devices, applications, and content for BlackBerry devices and devices with other operating systems – all 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 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.

St. Louis County Launches Athoc Networked Crisis Communication Platform

Source: BlackBerry - Press Releases - October 19, 2015

County Acts Fast to Deploy Secure Crisis Communication in Anticipation of One-Year Anniversary of Ferguson Events

Waterloo, Ontario – October 19, 2015 – BlackBerry Limited (NASDAQ: BBRY; TSX: BB), a global leader in secure mobile communications, today announced that St. Louis County Emergency Management selected AtHoc, a division of BlackBerry, to provide a highly secure alerting and personnel accountability solution. The selection and deployment of the AtHoc solution was made in preparation for the one-year anniversary of the shooting and consequent demonstrations that gripped the streets of Ferguson in August 2014.

St. Louis County EMA sought a state-of-the art crisis communication system that would enable swift, secure and reliable critical communications.  It was essential that the system enable coordination with full accountability and real time report generation. The County wanted to be proactive about the safety and protection of both first responders as well as the citizens of the county. They wanted a highly-secured system with one central interface that could be deployed swiftly and manage multiple delivery modalities (mobile smart device messaging, phone calls, paging, etc.).

The system was deployed rapidly and was in operation on August 1, 2015. The County’s selection and implementation of AtHoc paid off immediately as the County Executive declared a state of emergency when gunfire erupted on the fringes of demonstrations commemorating the anniversary weekend in August 2015. The County immediately used the AtHoc system to actively communicate and coordinate with first responders dealing with vandalism, looting, arson and other acts of civil disobedience or confrontations with police.

The selection of AtHoc was led by the Emergency Management team in the St. Louis County police department under the guidance of Paul Dupuis, Emergency Management Specialist. “We needed an efficient way to manage crisis awareness,” Dupuis said. “The anniversary of the Ferguson events accelerated the urgency to get a system in place as quickly as possible. The protection of the community and the citizens of St. Louis County is our top priority – we needed to make sure our first responders could communicate openly and efficiently should a crisis arise.”

“We designed our system to be both powerful to use as well as rapidly deployable,” said Jim Hoppe, AtHoc’s Vice President of Commercial and SLED. “We are proud that both of these attributes contributed to the safety of the Saint Louis County citizens in their first use of AtHoc, the same proven technology used by the Department of Homeland Security for the protection of their own personnel.”

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 AtHoc

AtHoc, a division of BlackBerry Limited, is the pioneer and recognized leader in networked crisis communication, protecting millions of people and thousands of organizations around the world. AtHoc provides a seamless and reliable exchange of critical information among organizations, their people and devices. A trusted partner to the world’s most demanding customers, AtHoc is the leading provider to the U.S. Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, and safeguards numerous other government agencies and leading commercial enterprises. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, the company operates around the globe. For more information about AtHoc, please visit www.athoc.com.

EMS Expands Portfolio with Mobility Solutions from BlackBerry

Source: BlackBerry - Press Releases - October 18, 2015

Dubai, UAE – October 18, 2015 – BlackBerry Limited (NASDAQ: BBRY; TSX: BB), a global leader in secure mobile communications, today announced that EMS, a BlackBerry Strategic Channel Partner, is now offering BES®12 Cloud in addition to BES12 on-premise. BES12 Cloud is a cloud-based enterprise mobility management solution that offers easy management of iOS, Android™, Windows Phone®, BlackBerry® 10 smartphones and tablets, as well as a wide range of Samsung KNOX and Android for Work smartphones and tablets. In addition to BES12 Cloud, EMS is now also offering Enhanced SIM-Based Licensing (ESBL) by BlackBerry, BlackBerry® Technical Support Services and BlackBerry’s Value Added Services through EMS’ 100 MNO partnerships across 63 countries in the Middle East & Africa, South East Asia, Commonwealth of Independent States and Eastern Europe.    

“Our Strategic Channel Partner agreement with BlackBerry brings an advanced, secure product portfolio to our enterprise customers and carrier partners and we are pleased to help them simplify the way mobility is managed while improving capabilities for better communication, productivity and security,” said Zoff Khan, CEO, EMS. “BlackBerry’s ability to extend security across multiple platforms, including Windows Phone®, iOS, Android™ and BlackBerry, will be of particular interest to our customers who have to meet the demands of a diverse group of users.”

The BlackBerry enterprise solutions, products and services that EMS is now offering include:

• BES12 On-Premise: the command and control center for the secured enterprise and the core of the BlackBerry multi-OS EMM solution.
• BES12 Cloud: an easy-to-deploy solution that's flexible and scalable enough to securely meet the needs of organizations large or small — with no in-house IT required.
• Enhanced SIM-Based Licensing (ESBL) by BlackBerry: ESBL provides enterprise customers an improved purchasing experience, meaning they will receive detailed monthly billing, and the ability to consolidate all users in an organization on one monthly bill.
• BlackBerry® Technical Support Services: Industry-leading support that is included with all BES12 subscriptions and perpetual licenses. It helps businesses to evolve their EMM strategy and manage all complex and demanding requirements.
• BlackBerry Value Added Services: BlackBerry through EMS offers a variety of Value Added Services and Solutions including:
  • BlackBerry Virtual SIM Services: Powered by the Virtual SIM Platform by BlackBerry, BlackBerry Virtual SIM Services are part of BlackBerry’s broad portfolio of multi-OS enterprise solutions and hosted on the trusted BlackBerry secure network. The two services include WorkLife™ by BlackBerry®, designed for enterprises, and ManyMe® by BlackBerry®, targeted to consumers.
  • Enterprise Identity by BlackBerry®: Provide organizations a simple way to manage cloud-based services with a single point of entitlement, control and audit for all cloud services, including Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and internal applications. It will also make it easy for employees to access all their enterprise cloud applications by allowing them to use just one set of familiar network credentials.
  • VPN Authentication by BlackBerry®: Allow employees to use their iOS, Android™ or BlackBerry® smartphone for two factor authentication, which means no user passwords or PINs. This eliminates the need for the issuance, management and use of costly and inconvenient hardware tokens, helping minimize overall expenses and improve employee productivity.
  • BBM™ Meetings: Provides a multi-OS, mobile-first voice and conferencing solution which delivers a mobile collaboration experience that enhances the productivity of mobile professionals, while reducing the operating cost for the enterprise.
  • BlackBerry® Blend for Enterprise: Makes it possible for employees to conveniently and securely access personal and work data from their BlackBerry smartphone on any device. BlackBerry Blend revolutionizes IT administration by shifting from managing devices to managing information movement.
  • BBM® Protected: BBM Protected offers an enhanced security model for BBM messages sent between Android, iPhone, and BlackBerry smartphones that protects corporate data in-transit by adding an additional layer of encryption to BBM.
  • Watchdox by BlackBerry: Applies security and advanced digital rights management (DRM) to documents going from preferred enterprise content repositories to multiple destinations within and outside an organization, including web, desktop and mobile.

“We are very excited to expand our long standing partnership with EMS,” said Carl Wiese, President Global Sales at BlackBerry. “We are passionate about designing and developing enterprise solutions that drive productivity, secure communications and collaboration for our customers. Together with EMS we can add a great deal of value to our joint customers and help them stay secure and on top of today’s mobility challenges.”

BES12, BES12 Cloud, ESBL, BlackBerry Technical Support Services and BlackBerry’s Value Added Services are now available through EMS.    

To learn more about BES12, please visit www.BlackBerry.com/BES12

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.

Apple Announces New ResearchKit Studies for Autism, Epilepsy & Melanoma

Source: Apple - Press Releases - October 15, 2015

Researchers from Duke University, Johns Hopkins and Oregon Health & Science University Launch New Medical Studies Using ResearchKit

CUPERTINO, California — October 15, 2015 — Apple® today announced that ResearchKit™ is enabling new research studies on autism, epilepsy and melanoma. ResearchKit turns iPhone® into a powerful tool for medical research by helping doctors, scientists and other researchers gather data more frequently and more accurately from participants using iPhone apps. With ResearchKit, study participants can review an interactive informed consent process, easily complete active tasks or submit survey responses, and choose how their health data is shared with researchers, making contributions to medical research easier than ever. Researchers and developers have already contributed to ResearchKit, with more than 50 researchers adding to the open source framework.

“We’re honored to work with world-class medical institutions and provide them with tools to better understand diseases and ultimately help people lead healthier lives,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s senior vice president of Operations. “In just six months, ResearchKit apps studying everything from asthma and diabetes to Parkinson’s disease, are already providing insights to scientists around the world and more than 100,000 participants are choosing to contribute their data to advance science and medical research.”

With user permission, researchers designing studies using ResearchKit can also access data from the Health app such as weight, blood pressure, glucose levels, and other data measured by third-party devices and apps, to capture real-time data right from the iPhone. Access to the accelerometer, microphone, gyroscope and GPS sensors in iPhone deliver additional insight into a participant’s gait, motor impairment, fitness, speech and memory, delivering more objective data to medical researchers.

New ResearchKit Studies
Autism: Duke University and Duke Medicine are launching “Autism & Beyond” for parents with concerns about autism and other developmental issues. The Duke research team is looking at whether the front-facing camera on an iPhone can be used to detect signs of developmental issues at a much younger age. The app uses novel emotion detection algorithms to measure a child’s reaction to videos shown on iPhone. Duke is partnering with Peking University in China and other international partners to conduct the study. 

“Autism & Beyond combines well-established screening questionnaires with a new video technology that makes it possible to analyze the emotions of children so that we may one day be able to automate the screening for conditions such as autism and anxiety,” said Ricky Bloomfield, Director of Mobile Technology Strategy and Assistant Professor in Internal Medicine & Pediatrics at Duke University. “ResearchKit enables us to put an entire medical study in a single app, reaching so many more people than we ever could before.”

Epilepsy: The EpiWatch app developed by Johns Hopkins is the first study of its kind to be conducted with Apple Watch using ResearchKit. The study will test whether the wearable sensors included in Apple Watch can be used to detect the onset and duration of seizures. During the first phase of this study, researchers will use a custom complication on the Apple Watch to provide patients with one-touch access to trigger the custom watch app to capture accelerometer and heart rate sensor data to capture the digital signature of their seizure and send an alert to a loved one. The app will keep a log of all seizures and the participant’s responsiveness during the event. The app also helps participants manage their disorder by tracking their medication adherence and by screening for side effects, while allowing participants to compare their condition with others in the research study.

“Epilepsy impacts over 2 million people in the United States. This new app, designed using ResearchKit, provides patients with interactive activities that help them manage their condition now, and opens the door to developing an app that can detect various seizure types and alert family and caregivers,” says Gregory Krauss, M.D., Professor of Neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “Now we have the opportunity to use technology to monitor seizures across the country and collect data in a totally new way.”

Melanoma: Oregon Health & Science University is studying whether digital images taken on an iPhone can be used to learn about mole growth and melanoma risks and could help people better manage skin health by photographing and measuring mole size over time. Research participants will be able to document mole changes and share them directly with health professionals, and researchers will be able to capture images from tens of thousands of iPhone users around the globe to help create detection algorithms which can be used in future studies to potentially screen for melanoma.

“Melanoma is the poster child for early detection. If we can identify melanomas earlier by creating a simple way for patients to share images of their moles we can learn more about the progression of the disease,” said Sancy Leachman, M.D., Ph.D. Chair of Dermatology and Director, Melanoma Research Program, at the Knight Cancer Institute. ”Expanding our pool of research participants is a critical step in gaining the information we need. ResearchKit makes this easier than ever with the development of a simple iPhone app.”

Expansion of ResearchKit Framework
Researchers and developers using the open source software framework continue to contribute to ResearchKit with new modules, active tasks and custom surveys. The Active Task module enables researchers to gather more targeted data for their study by inviting participants to perform activities that generate data using iPhone’s advanced sensors. Initial Active Task modules included tasks to measure motor activities, fitness, cognition and voice. 

In just six months, more than 50 researchers have contributed active tasks to support new methods of research, including tasks to study tone audiometry for hearing loss; the ability to measure reaction time through delivery of a known stimulus to a known response; a timed walk test; PSAT to assess the speed of information processing and working memory, and the mathematical puzzle Tower of Hanoi often used for cognition studies. Additional contributions to the ResearchKit framework include iPad® support, image capture and the ability to add pie charts, line graphs and discrete graphs for more detailed dashboards. 

For more information on ResearchKit, visit www.apple.com/researchkit and for details on how to access the open source framework, visit www.researchkit.org.

To learn more about existing studies using ResearchKit, visit www.appstore.com/researchkit. ResearchKit studies are available in Austria, China, Germany, Hong Kong, Switzerland, the UK and the US.

Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, the Mac and Apple Watch. Apple’s three software platforms — iOS, OS X and watchOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay and iCloud. Apple’s 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.

Samsung expands Tizen ecosystem with the launch of Samsung Z3

Source: Samsung Mobile Press - Press Releases - October 14, 2015

Following the successful launch of the Samsung Z1, the Samsung Z3 delivers an upgraded user experience

SEOUL, South Korea – Samsung Electronics today announced the Samsung Z3, an advanced Tizen-based smartphone that offers powerful performance and easy customization via exclusive, localized features including “My Galaxy” for easy access to nearby rewards and benefits.

 

Built with a crisp 5-inch HD resolution display, the Samsung Z3 delivers the ultimate viewing experience with its Super AMOLED technology for clearer and deeper images, along with an advanced 8 megapixel Bright Lens camera to capture more detailed and higher quality images. In addition, the Samsung Z3 features an ‘Ultra Data Saving Mode’ that minimizes mobile data usage as well as ‘Ultra Power Saving Mode’ for continuous performance with low battery life.

 

”As a pioneer of Tizen platform, we have continuously introduced Tizen-based mobile devices, including Samsung Z1 and Samsung Gear S2, in our commitment to develop the Tizen ecosystem”, said JK Shin, CEO and Head of IT & Mobile Business at Samsung Electronics. “We developed the Samsung Z3 to provide the features that will help consumers capitalize on the growing Tizen ecosystem and make the most out of their personal mobile experience.”

Advanced Viewing and Camera Capabilities

The Samsung Z3 features a superior 5-inch HD screen, made with Samsung’s advanced Super AMOLED technology that delivers clear images and excellent contrast ratio for true-to-life colors. The device is also equipped with an 8 megapixel Bright Lens F2.2 rear-facing camera that captures more light for visibly clearer and more detailed images, as well as a 5 megapixel front-facing camera for advanced selfie capabilities. The Samsung Z3 camera offers ‘Automatic Selfie’ for seamless selfies with facial recognition, ‘Beauty Face Mode’ that automatically retouches images for flawless skin and ‘Wide Selfie’ to capture up to 120 degrees of the users’ surroundings for the perfect group selfie shot.

Long Battery Life and Optimized Data Usage for Indian Consumers

The Samsung Z3 supports a long-lasting 2,600mAh battery complemented by ‘Ultra Power Saving Mode,’ which allows users to operate on standby for up to 33 hours with less than 10 percent of battery life. The device also features ‘Ultra Data Saving Mode,’ providing data compression and management capabilities for up to 40 percent less mobile data usage.

Designed specifically for the Indian market, Samsung Z3 comes preloaded with ‘My Galaxy’ app that offer consumers various exclusive services, local deals, entertainment content, continuous value on extensively used categories like recharge, travel, movies, fashion etc and post purchase assistance. The Samsung Z3 additionally features the ‘Mix Radio’ app, available exclusively for Samsung consumers. Mix Radio is the world’s most personalized free music streaming service with over 35 million songs to choose from, including extensive local catalogue of over 10 genres of Indian music.

 

The Samsung Z3 is priced at INR 8490 and will be available in India from October in Gold, Black and Silver.

 

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies, redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, cameras, digital appliances, printers, medical equipment, network systems, and semiconductor and LED solutions. We are also leading in the Internet of Things space through, among others, our Smart Home and Digital Health initiatives. We employ 319,000 people across 84 countries with annual sales of US $196 billion. To discover more, please visit our official website at www.samsung.com and our official blog at global.samsungtomorrow.com

Samsung Z3 Product Specifications

Network :- WCDMA: B1(2100),B8(900) - GSM: GSM850,GSM900,DCS1800,PCS1900

Processor :1.3GHz Quad Core Processor

Display :5.0” HD Super AMOLED

Camera :Rear : 8.0MP w/ LED Flash (F2.2) Front : 5.0MP (F2.2)

Camera Features :Automatic Selfie, Wide Selfie Beauty Face Mode, Dream Shot

Video :MP4,M4V,3GP,3G2,ASF,AVI,FLV,MKV

Audio :MP3,M4A,3GA,AAC,OGG,OGA,WAV,WMA,AMR,AWB,FLAC

Connectivity :WiFi 802.11 b/g/n Bluetooth® 4.0 BLE, USB 2.0, GPS,GLONASS

Sensor :Accelerometer, Proximity Sensor

Memory :1GB(RAM) + 8GB microSD slot (up to 128GB)

Dimension :70 x 141.6 x 7.9mm, 137g

Battery :2,600 mAh

* All functionality, features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation.