BLACKBERRY Ltd
BlackBerry Limited, formerly Research In Motion (RIM), is a Canadian software company specializing in secure communications and the Internet of Things (IoT). Founded in 1984, it was known for developing the BlackBerry brand of wireless mobile devices from 1999 to 2016. After the mobile division was spun off into BlackBerry Mobile in 2016 until its discontinuation in 2020, BlackBerry Limited transitioned to providing software and services and holds critical software application patents.
Basic company information
Each field links to its source. Financial figures retain their reporting periods; background references are identified in the source list.
- Business sectors
- Internet of Things; information technology [1]
- Company / filing name
- BLACKBERRY Ltd [2]
- Headquarters location
- Waterloo [1]
- Founded
- 1984-03-07 [1]
- Legal form
- business corporation [1]
- Leadership in background record
- John S. Chen [1]
- Founders
- Mike Lazaridis [1]
- Official website
- https://blackberry.com; https://www.blackberry.com/ca/en; https://www.blackberry.com/uk/en; https://www.blackberry.com/us/en [1]
- Employees
- 3,647 · reported year 2020 [1]
- Annual revenue
- USD 1,040,000,000 · reported year 2020 [1]
- ISIN (reported securities)
- CA09228F1036 [1]
- CIK
- 1070235 [2]
- Country in background record
- Canada [1]
- Symbols / exchanges
- BB (NYSE) [2]
Company positioning and business
BlackBerry Limited, formerly Research In Motion (RIM), is a Canadian software company specializing in secure communications and the Internet of Things (IoT). Founded in 1984, it was known for developing the BlackBerry brand of wireless mobile devices from 1999 to 2016. After the mobile division was spun off into BlackBerry Mobile in 2016 until its discontinuation in 2020, BlackBerry Limited transitioned to providing software and services and holds critical software application patents. [3]
Initially leading the emerging smartphone market in the late 2000s, the company struggled to gain a lasting presence against the iPhone and Android phones. BlackBerry led the smartphone market in many countries, particularly the United States until the announcement of the iPhone 4 in 2010, and in Indonesia throughout the early 2010s. In 2010, BlackBerry was worth more than Adidas, MTV or Ben & Jerry's. The company withered against the rapid rise of both Apple and Google. After the launch of BlackBerry 10, it transitioned to a cybersecurity enterprise software and services company under CEO John S. Chen. In 2018, the last BlackBerry smartphone, the BlackBerry Key2 LE, was released. In 2022, BlackBerry discontinued support for BlackBerry 10, ending their presence in the smartphone market. [3]
BlackBerry's software products are used by various businesses, car manufacturers, and government agencies to prevent hacking and ransomware attacks. They include BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BlackBerry Unified Endpoint Manager) and a Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) platform. [3]
Background text: Wikipedia contributors, BlackBerry Limited. Selected introductory paragraphs, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Official filing data is cited separately.
Management and corporate governance
The Wikidata background record identifies John S. Chen in the chief-executive role. This background entry is not an official confirmation of the current board or executive roster. [1]
Understanding company scale
Employees: 3,647 · reported year 2020. [1]
Annual revenue: USD 1,040,000,000 · reported year 2020. [1]
Financial year, securities and disclosures
Listed securities: BB (NYSE). Multiple symbols may represent different share classes or securities of the same registrant. [2]
History and key events
Founding / inception date recorded in Wikidata. [1]
Financial results and regulatory disclosures
No individual financial documents have been indexed yet. Open the source to consult company disclosures. [2]
Related entities and concepts
Frequently asked questions
When was BLACKBERRY Ltd founded?
Founded: 1984-03-07. The linked source provides the background record. [1]
Where is the headquarters of BLACKBERRY Ltd?
Headquarters location: Waterloo. The linked source provides the background record. [1]
Which business sectors are recorded for BLACKBERRY Ltd?
Business sectors: Internet of Things; information technology. The linked source provides the background record. [1]
Sources and review dates
- Wikidata — company background record (CC0) ↗
- Company identity and profile data ↗
- Wikipedia contributors — BlackBerry Limited (CC BY-SA 4.0) ↗
Reviewed 23 October 2026. Financial periods and historical event dates are shown separately. Figures reflect their stated source dates; this page is not a live quote or investment recommendation.