 "BlackBerry hires Indian-origin Sandeep Chennakeshu to lead new innovation unit")
BlackBerry said it has created a new business unit, to be called BlackBerry Technology Solutions, or BTS. The new unit will house the company’s most promising 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 portfolio of 44,000 patents.
Commenting on the appointment, Chen said, “Combining all these assets into a single business unit led by Sandeep will create operational synergies and new revenue streams, furthering our turnaround strategy.”
The move also hints that BlackBerry may be preparing for a smartphone-free future.
The Canadian smartphone maker, which is in a revamp mode under CEO John Chen helm, also announced the appointment Sandeep Chennakeshu as president of its newly created unit.
Ericsson veteran Chennakeshu, who starts immediately, will be responsible for leading BlackBerry’s high-potential assets.
Indian-origin Chennakeshu himself is a named inventor on 73 patents. He previously served as the president of Ericsson Mobile Platforms and CTO of Sony-Ericsson.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Bangalore University, a master of science in electrical engineering from the University of Saskatchewan, and a Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from Southern Methodist University. He also holds a postgraduate diploma in industrial management from the India Institute of Science.
With the new responsibility, Chennakeshu is now a part of the growing list of Indian-origin heads at global tech companies. The tech giants that have hired Indian-origin officials include Microsoft, Nokia, Adobe, GlobalFoundries, amongst others. Two high-profile appointments announced this year was of Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella as well as Nokia CEO Rajeev Suri.
Chennakeshu’s appointment comes at a time when BlackBerry is on the verge of re-inventing itself, and driving BlackBerry’s revenue-generating technology assets is no less challenging.
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