BlackBerry is reportedly discussing selling itself whole or piecemeal with Google, Cisco and SAP.
Reuters spoke with sources close to the matter who indicate BlackBerry has been asking around about potential buyers—including Intel, Samsung and LG—and is hoping to be able to gauge interest by early next week.
Whether any of the reported bidders actually make an offer it will likely be structured differently than the preliminary offer Fairfax Financial has already put forth. Fairfax has bid $4.7 billion to take BlackBerry private.
BlackBerry’s focus on security could make it an attractive acquisition target for enterprise-centric companies like SAP or Cisco.
But the doubts surrounding financing for Fairfax’s buyout deal along with the staggering near-$1 billion loss BlackBerry posted in its fiscal second quarter are making the company’s future uncertain.
BlackBerry agreed to pay Fairfax a penalty fee—reportedly $150 million—should the OEM choose not to pursue the Prem Watsa firm’s offer, which could scare off potential suitors.
BlackBerry’s stock is up more than four percent as of 8:44 a.m. CT.
