Rumor: Microsoft may be looking to acquire BlackBerry

It’s been a while since we heard any news about a potential BlackBerry sale, but a new report suggests multiple companies may be interested in acquiring the Canadian phone-maker. According to DigiTimes, Microsoft and a number of Chinese firms are all eyeing BlackBerry after its recent return to profitability. The Chinese news site, which we should note doesn’t really have the best track record, claims that Xiaomi, Lenovo and Huawei are all considering an investment in BlackBerry. Meanwhile, Microsoft has apparently hired an outside firm to determine whether a buyout makes sense. BlackBerry’s business-focused services could potentially help Windows fight off growing competition in the enterprise market from Google and Apple. As for these Chinese firms, a deal seems pretty unlikely. Lenovo allegedly came pretty close to buying BlackBerry back in 2013 before it was blocked by the Canadian government over security concerns. We don’t see why a similar strategy would do any better two years later.