Blackberry Struggling, Hoping to Sell Company

(Image source: CNET / Stephen Shankland) BY EVAN THOMAS Beat-down BlackBerry is looking for a way out. The once-prolific handset maker is up for auction and has been for some time now. The company says it wants to speed the process up. The Wall Street Journal reports the Canadian smartphone manufacturer is "pushing for a quick resolution to the sales process." The board says it wants a deal done by November. The company first acknowledged the possibility of a sale in early August, which was an early indicator to analysts there was a "lack of interest in the company. If there was any, they would be announcing a partnership/acquisition, not a sale." (Via Ars Technica) BlackBerry's market share has been shriveling for years, as competitors like Apple and Samsung muscle in on its old territory. Its latest offerings, like the Z10 and Q10 handsets and the BlackBerry 10 OS, failed to gain much traction. BlackBerry wound up cutting production in half just months after launch due to a lack of demand. Fast forward to now, and BlackBerry's board of directors has reportedly narrowed down a list of potential buyers. Microsoft was on that list, but this news comes just days after that company closed a deal to acquire Finnish phone maker Nokia for $7.2 billion. (Via PCWorld) SiliconANGLE points out Lenovo, the world's biggest PC manufacturer, had at one point broadly implied an interest in bidding for BlackBerry. That could help Lenovo get a foot in the door to the Western smartphone market. "Given Lenovo's mobile ambitions, a deal for BlackBerry could be an incredibly smart move." But until someone comes forward, BlackBerry's future is still speculation. The company has hired JP Morgan Chase & Co. to manage the sale — if it ever happens.