With a new strategy, BlackBerry’s challenge will be to sell software and services to enterprises while telling them they don’t necessarily have to buy BlackBerry smartphones

As BlackBerry smartphone sales remain weak, the company is embracing a strategy that will see it increasing its focus on mobile data management software and services through sales of its BlackBerry Enterprise Server. In the process, it will go head-to-head against other leading firms in the space, including SAP, IBM, Oracle, Good Technologies, and MobileIron. BlackBerry’s Enterprise Server software manages not just data to its own smartphones, but across Android, iOS and Windows Phone devices.

BlackBerry’s challenge will be to sell Enterprise Server without alienating customers who may not wish to buy its smartphones. For BlackBerry this will necessitate a change in how it sells its products and could ultimately set up a conflict between its various businesses, as its hardware division looks to leverage software and services sales to grow new business. The conflict could eventually force BlackBerry to choose which area is the future of it business, and depending on the success of its strategy, could ultimately see BlackBerry downplaying handset sales in order to drive its software and services business.

This published report discusses BlackBerry’s performance in Q1 2014 and its shifting strategy. The report – available to clients – provides Strategy Analytics’ analysis of BlackBerry’s most recent 1Q 2014 calendar performance.