Airlines Lufthansa (fra:LHA) and Odysey have firm orders for 30 and 10 cseries aircraft, respectively; Lufthansa also has an option for 30 more; that represents 23% of all orders. First flight was suppose to have occurred back in June 2014 but software upgrades pushed the date back to September 16, 2014. That date was eventually scrapped in favor of one 15 months later- December 2015. Engineering is not the problem (already done / confirmed by key customers) rather, the certification process overseen by Transport Canada is to blame as it is time consuming especially since it involves a new United Technologies Pratt & Whitney engine. The flight test program is scheduled to be 2400 hours long with only 159 logged thus far. According to Odyssey Airlines, when ready the Bombardier cseries plane will have a flawless entry into service with airlines, making long delays justifiable.
Russia crisis affects $3.4 billion Q400 turboprop contract between Bombardier and state owned Rostekhnologii. - Sanctions tabled by the US and Canada prevent Bombardier from moving forward with the contract. In 2013 Russia accounted for only 1.4% of company revenue ($250m), this deal is pivotal for boosting sales to the region. Russia is an expanding market and key member of the BRIC group of nations. In my opinion this is a deal the company must hang onto.
BlackBerry's QNX platform superior to Apple IOS ?
Last month Apple revealed something somewhat surprising: Apple's new in car operating system Carplay- which enables iPhone to power the infotainment, is actually built on BlackBerry's qnx platform."Connectivity to smartphones and other mobile devices is a key strength of qnx Software Systems’ platform", "We have a long-standing partnership with Apple to ensure high-quality connectivity with their devices, and this partnership extends to support for Apple CarPlay".with automakers Toyota (TM), BMW, GM and Ford (F) already designing their vehicles to be compatible with qnx software it seems inevitable that, as the technology increases in popularity BlackBerry is going to develop a significant new source of revenue.
Also in March: US department of defense approves BlackBerry Full Operational Capability software to run on government networks.
The week prior to this, the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) approved BlackBerry's iOS and Android Secure Work Space mobile service for use by the US and Canadian governments- allows IT managers to create a separate area on any iOS or Android device that's managed by Blackberry Enterprise Service 10. The partnership with Android is another way BlackBerry is increasing revenue stream and future cash flow.
Blackberry About To Make Up More Ground In Smartphone Battle
The new BlackBerry Z3 is a low cost device (under $200; Samsung and LG rely on low end devices for their sales growth).Indonesia will be the first country in Asia to get it / Z3 is the first phone manufactured by contract partner Foxconn.
