BlackBerry reportedly refused to break up company despite interest from Apple, Microsoft

Back when BlackBerry was still on the market, some expected that the struggling company would ultimately be broken up and “sold for parts.” But according to Reuters, BlackBerry’s board roundly rejected this possibility, despite interest from several major competitors. Google, Microsoft, and even Apple — a name we hadn’t heard before now — were reportedly drawn to BlackBerry’s intellectual property. Cisco and Lenovo are mentioned as other potential buyers of BlackBerry’s assets, though Reuters’ report makes no mention of those Facebook rumors. In the end, BlackBerry’s board apparently felt that a breakup would not “serve the interest of all stakeholders,” Reuters says. Instead, earlier this week the company announced it wouldn’t be selling to anyone. It’s locked up $1 billion in funding and made sweeping changes to executive ranks in what may be BlackBerry’s last opportunity at turning things around.