Microsoft and Xiaomi eyeing Blackberry acquisition, report says

Nearly a couple of months after Blackberry surprised the market with a small profit for the fiscal fourth quarter, there are new reports that it is being eyed as an acquisition target.

According to a report from DigiTimes, several companies including Microsoft, Xiaomi, Huawei, and Lenovo are interested in taking over the Canadian company. The Redmond-based software giant is said to be the frontrunner as the company has even requested investment firms to evaluate the possibility of an acquisition deal.

While Microsoft's interest in BlackBerry stems from the fact that the latter's focus on software services is in line with its own offerings, Chinese companies looking for a possible deal are aiming to strengthen their presence in the US and Europe, the report notes. BlackBerry's stance on the matter is not yet known.