MUMBAI: BlackBerry Limited (NASDAQ:BBRY)(TSX:BB), a global leader in mobile communications, announced today that it has named Sandeep Chennakeshu to lead a new business unit to be called BlackBerry Technology Solutions, or BTS. The BTS business unit comprises BlackBerry's innovative technology assets, including: QNX (embedded software), Project Ion (Internet of Things application platform), Certicom (cryptography applications), and Paratek (RF antenna tuning), as well as BlackBerry's extensive patent portfolio.

Executive Chairman and CEO John Chen said, "I am very pleased that Sandeep has joined BlackBerry to lead BTS. QNX, Certicom and Paratek are strategic and technically innovative assets with significant potential to address the much wider global markets for secure, reliable communications and embedded applications. Project Ion creates an application platform that enables secure and collaborative machine-to-machine communication required by the growing number of end-to-end, Internet of Things applications. Our broad global portfolio of 44,000 patents is of value to several industry segments. Combining all these assets into a single business unit led by Sandeep will create operational synergies and new revenue streams, furthering our turnaround strategy."

Sandeep Chennakeshu has been engaged in research, product development, IP creation/licensing and general management in the wireless, electronics and semiconductor industry for over 25 years, including serving as President of Ericsson Mobile Platforms and CTO of Sony-Ericsson. He is a named inventor on 73 patents and a Fellow of the IEEE.

Chennakeshu starts immediately.