Blackberry’s Security Patents Attract Lenovo As A Potential Buyer

Since its rather dramatic dethroning by Apple as the go-to smart phone of choice, it’s been a long strange trip over the last year for Blackberry, with the will-the-won’t-they possibility of acquisition of the Canadian company by a stronger player. The rumor mill, it seems, is ready to gin up again, now with speculation swirling that Chinese computer manufacturer Lenovo is seriously considering purchasing Blackberry.

Despite the hollowing out of demand for their smartphones, Blackberry controls some particularly advanced protocols, specifically around security, reports Bidnessetc. “Acquisition of BlackBerry will be a prize for any tech firm. BlackBerry’s safekeeping has so far helped it from being commoditized. Its security features are valued by corporations as well as governments, who need to share data over secure networks. It is a leader in this coveted domain.”

The acquisition of Blackberry by Lenovo could also help the company’s struggling handset business–Asia currently represents around 16 percent of Blackberry’s device sales, a partnership with Lenovo could see that marketshare expand. The acquisition could also help fuel Lenovo’s major push into mobil markets, which is currently reportedly getting underway in 2015.

According to reports, Lenovo is expected to to make an offer of $15 per share, which might even increase to $18 per share before the deal is finalized. Blackberry stock saw an uptick in value yesterday, on the announcement of the proposed acquisition.