BlackBerry ‘gives up’ fight accepts fate of niche player

A member of BlackBerry board has said that being a small player in smartphone market is difficult.

A member of BlackBerry Ltd’s board committee tasked with exploring strategic alternatives said the company can survive as a niche smartphone maker but should sell off some parts,the Wall Street Journal said.

Bert Nordberg,who joined the struggling smartphone maker’s board in February,did not rule out a sale or strategic partnership,and did not specify which parts could be sold off,the newspaper said.

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BlackBerry said earlier this month it was looking into options for the company,which could include an outright sale.

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Nordberg said being a small player in the global smartphone market is difficult,the Wall Street Journal said on Friday.

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He also said the company needs to close the gap between its value on paper and how Wall Street perceives the company’s worth,the newspaper said.

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The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week that BlackBerry is considering spinning off its messaging service into a separate unit,which the company refused to comment on.