BlackBerry considering spinoff of messaging service: WSJ

REUTERS - BlackBerry Ltd is considering spinning off its messaging service into a separate unit, the Wall Street Journal said, quoting people familiar with the matter.

The subsidiary would be called BBM Inc, the newspaper said. (http://link.reuters.com/meq62v)

BlackBerry has been shifting executives to the BBM team and working on other offerings beyond messaging, including some tools already available to BlackBerry users, like video chatting, the newspaper said.

The company is also considering making BBM available for desktop computers, the daily said, quoting a person familiar with the matter.

A BlackBerry spokeswoman said the company cannot comment on rumor and speculation.

The company said earlier this month it was weighing options that could include an outright sale.

BlackBerry's shares fell about 2 percent to C$10.72 on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

(Reporting by Sruthi Ramakrishnan in Bangalore)