Partners: BlackBerry's On Right Track As AT&T Inks Deal To Carry Passport, Classic

AT&T said it will carry the BlackBerry Passport and BlackBerry Classic in its retail stores beginning Feb. 20, making it the first carrier to sell the devices in the U.S.

Partners applauded the announcement, saying the carrier's newfound collaboration will provide a much-needed boost for BlackBerry's mobility division in the U.S.

"It can only help BlackBerry," ssaid Rick Jordan, director of mobility sales at Toronto-based BlackBerry partner Tenet Computer Group. "At the end of the day it goes to show that they are aligning themselves with the right partners and avenues. They're trying to get more exposure."

[Related: BlackBerry Reports 34 Percent Q3 Revenue Drop]

The 4.5-inch wide touch-screen 32-GB BlackBerry Passport was released in September, while the 3.5-inch 16-GB BlackBerry Classic was launched in December.

AT&T will sell an exclusive version of the BlackBerry Passport featuring rounded edges, as opposed to the sharp edges on the original.

Customers previously could purchase both models directly from BlackBerry or on Amazon. AT&T is the first carrier to sell the phones, and that move signals a stamp of confidence in BlackBerry, said partners.

"AT&T’s vote of confidence in BlackBerry will go a long way towards aiding in the growth of BlackBerry’s market share in the huge U.S. smartphone market, though I sincerely hope the marketing spend on both companies parts is geared toward the enterprise or corporate space rather than the consumer market," said Douglas Grosfield, president and CEO of Ontario-based Xylotek Solutions, a BlackBerry partner. "The fickle consumer smartphone market is best left to the other smartphone manufacturers to fight over, leaving BlackBerry free to strengthen its hold on the far more exciting and lucrative corporate environment with its need for tighter controls and security."

Despite the launch of both devices in the fall, BlackBerry reported disappointing third-quarter earnings in December, with a 34 percent decrease in revenue to $793 million, a loss of $148 million.

But partners hope the new momentum for sales in the U.S. will bolster the company's revenue in the coming quarter ending Feb. 28.

According to Grosfield, Xylotek Solutions has seen "rapid and widespread" adoption of both the BlackBerry Passport and BlackBerry Classic in Canada, so AT&T's move in the U.S. is a "major coup" and will boost Waterloo, Ontario-based BlackBerry's success.

"All signs point to a much more positive fiscal year for BlackBerry, and a more relaxed shareholder base as a result, so as a BlackBerry partner and a fellow tech company in the technology hotbed in Waterloo region here in southwestern Ontario, Xylotek Solutions couldn’t be happier to hear the news about AT&T and BlackBerry," he said.

The BlackBerry Passport will go for $199.99 with a two-year AT&T Next plan agreement or at no annual commitment for $649.99; while the BlackBerry Classic will go for $49.99 with a two-year AT&T Next plan agreement or no annual commitment for $419.99.

PUBLISHED FEB. 18, 2015