Jefferies Analyst Sees Possibility of Microsoft Bid on BlackBerry (MSFT)

According to Jefferies analyst Peter Misek, software company Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) is now more likely to acquire BlackBerry.

On September 2, Microsoft announced that it had agreed to purchase Nokia's devices and services business. After this deal is finalized, the analyst sees Microsoft taking a closer look at BlackBerry.

The analyst noted that having both the Nokia business as well as BlackBerry assets, MSFT would be “1) the definitive #3 handset player with better carrier access and production economies of scale; 2) the leader in enterprise mobile devices with support from the U.S. gov’t; 3) a key player in MDM, an area they would love to get into and purchasing private leaders in the space would be pricey.”

Misek also reported that other bidders may include International Business Machines (IBM) and Samsung. He also suggested the possibility of BlackBerry splitting into several pieces.