Lenovo considers buying BlackBerry maker as an option
PC maker in talks with Research In Motion and its bankers, says Lenovo's chief financial officer
Lenovo Group is assessing potential acquisition targets and strategic alliances, including a deal with BlackBerry maker Research In Motion, as the second-largest producer of personal computers tries to bolster its mobile-device business.
"We are looking at all opportunities - RIM and many others," chief financial officer Wong Wai Ming said in an interview at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. "We'll have no hesitation if the right opportunity comes along that could benefit us and shareholders."
RIM began a review of its strategic options last year after losing market share to smartphones such as Apple's iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy, raising speculation that it could be a takeover target.
Beijing-based Lenovo, which bought International Business Machines Corp's PC unit in 2005, is considering acquisitions and adding new products as competition from tablets hampers profit growth.
"Long term, we are in a declining PC market," said Jean-Louis Lafayeedney, an analyst at JI Asia in Hong Kong. Still, Lenovo "can leverage the scale they have in PCs to develop the mobile internet side of the business".
The PC maker has a team working on possible acquisitions, Wong said. Lenovo has spoken to RIM and its bankers about various combinations or strategic ventures, he said. Wong declined to comment on when the company would make a decision on whether to bid for a mobile-device maker.
