BlackBerry on Tuesday reported a fall in cybersecurity revenue for the second quarter, as customers reined in spending due to an uncertain macroeconomic environment, sending its shares down about 3 percent in extended trading.
The company has also been facing tough competition from Microsoft, Citrix Systems and IBM in the security software segment, with revenue in the unit falling 7.5 percent to US$111 million from a year ago.
The company said in an earnings call that cybersecurity segment revenue in the third quarter is expected to be flat year-on-year.
However, revenue at the company's Internet of things (IoT) unit, which includes the QNX software for automotive customers, rose about 28 percent to US$51 million as it signed up more customers.
BlackBerry's QNX software is now embedded in over 215 million vehicles worldwide, helped by surging demand for electric vehicles and connected-car technologies. The company recently added global carmakers such as Ford Motor, General Motors, Hyundai Motor, to its already strong client list of BMW, Honda Motor, Mercedes-Benz and Toyota Motor.
BlackBerry in June said that a deal to sell its patents primarily related to mobile devices, messaging and wireless networking for US$600 million to a special purpose vehicle has been delayed.
Total revenue fell 4 percent to US$168 million for the quarter ended 31 August, compared with a consensus estimate of US$166.7 million, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.
Excluding items, the company posted a loss of 5 cents per share, narrower than analysts' expectations of loss of 7 cents.
(Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila and Shailesh Kuber)
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