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“I am working on some, and maybe we will collaborate with others,” Mr. Chen told the Financial Times. “If I focus on security and identity management then we will be a good solid partner in this enterprise world.

“I am not afraid of competing when I know I am more nimble. I never think [that] going alone is the right strategy. But we have a value add that no one else can do.”

BlackBerry shares rallied almost 6% to close at $11.15 on the TSX.

A BlackBerry spokesperson on Thursday told the Financial Post: “We can’t comment on any unannounced partnerships.”

As part of a corporate overhaul under Mr. Chen, who took the helm in November, BlackBerry has been focusing more on enterprise services and mobile device management rather than devices.

Brian Colello, equity analyst at Morningstar in Chicago, said Mr. Chen’s comments on potential partnerships were reasonable as BlackBerry would be expected to use any available avenues to expand its various businesses, particularly within enterprise.

He added that the company’s shares have been “volatile” through the company’s transition, and any positive news leads to a spike.

“I suspect the stock rise [Thursday] is because any potential partnership may … be good for the firm’s fundamentals in terms of forming a sustainable enterprise business,” he said in an e-mail.

Through the partnership, Apple and IBM will develop more than 100 industry-specific enterprise solutions, including native apps, for the iPhone and iPad. IBM will also sell iPhones and iPads with these apps to business clients worldwide as part of the IBM MobileFirst for iOS agreement.

Analysts say the tie-up is positive but don’t expect it to move the needle for Apple given the sheer size of its consumer customer base.

“The reality is [Apple] is still a consumer-first company, and even if they make a lot of progress in enterprise, it’s still just doesn’t really add up,” said Eugene Munster, senior research analyst at Piper Jaffray.