The Canadian government hopes BlackBerry Ltd will be able to make it on its own, Industry Minister James Moore said on Thursday.<\/p>\n
His remarks come amid a backdrop of dwindling market share for the once-successful Canadian company, plans for a possible sale of the company and a recent report that it may shed a sizable number of its staff.<\/p>\n
In Canada’s federal registry of lobbyists, BlackBerry recorded several communications last month with officials from Moore’s department, as well as from Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s office.<\/p>\n
“Through my department, they met with officials, and I think they explored a number of the questions that were on the horizon, but I think the issues that BlackBerry was approaching us with a month ago (were) very different than the news that came out (Wednesday),” Moore told reporters in Oakville, Ontario.<\/p>\n
The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that the company could cut up to 40 percent of its staff by the end of the year.<\/p>\n
Once a dominant player in the corporate smartphone arena, BlackBerry has struggled in recent years to staunch a loss of market share to companies such as Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd.<\/p>\n
“I want BlackBerry to do well. I want BlackBerry to grow and to continue to employ Canadians to continue to innovate and be a challenger to the Android and iOS platforms and Windows platforms and to create a good product that’s doing well.”<\/p>\n
Asked about possible government help for BlackBerry, he said: “Frankly I haven’t been asked personally in that regard, but we’re hopeful that they’ll be able to make it on their own.”<\/p>\n
BlackBerry bidders may carve up business \u2013 sources<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n BlackBerry cuts US sales team jobs<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Shareholder mulls taking BlackBerry private<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n