‘Majority’ Of US Firms Testing BlackBerry 10 Ahead Of Q10 Release

BlackBerry has claimed 60 percent of US Fortune 500 companies were either testing or using BlackBerry 10 devices ahead of the US launch of the QWERTY-based BlackBerry Q10.

The BlackBerry Q10 was launched in the UK and Canada two months ago to critical acclaim, but the US launch has been delayed due to a longer carrier testing process.

The smartphone is now available on T-Mobile in the US, with Verizon and AT&T offering it to customers later this month and Sprint this summer.

BlackBerry 10 launch

In an interview with Reuters, BlackBerry chief operating officer Kristian Tear said it was crucial all four major US carriers would stock the device and is convinced the Q10 will regain customers who have been tempted away by other devices.

He added that the firm expected demand to be boosted by the fact that many companies were deploying the BlackBerry Enterprise Service (BES) mobile device management platform, which also manages Android and iOS devices.

BlackBerry hopes this will encourage corporate and government customers to retain its services as many move towards a mixed-device environment.

The US market is seen as important for BlackBerry if it is to regain market share ceded to Apple and Android rivals like Samsung, but shares in the Canadian manufacturer slumped after analysts reported that the US launch of the touchscreen-based BlackBerry Z10 had been disappointing.

This was unlikely to reassure investors after figures released by Kandar WorldTech Panel prior to the launch revealed that BlackBerry’s share of the US smartphone market had fallen behind Windows Phone.

Last month, BlackBerry unveiled the third smartphone to run BlackBerry 10, the mid-range QWERTY-based BlackBerry Q5, which is aimed at a youthful audience.

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