And not just Microsoft, either, though that's the one we're most interested in. Is there any truth behind it? Maybe, maybe not.

Our good pal, Bla1ze, over on CrackBerry has a better insight into it than a lot of outlets reporting this news:

"Now, there's still no way to tell whether there's any substance to these rumors but somehow after the post on Betaville about Microsoft looking into taking over BlackBerry it got extended to Xiaomi, Lenovo, and Huawei, which we know from past rumors isn't very likely at all due to the Canadian Government involvement in any foreign acquisitions of BlackBerry. "

Here's the first thing to note. Digitimes was not the original source. Financial blog, Betaville, was first to talk about this. And here's one important part from that post:

"Readers of this article should understand this information is RARE. For readers that don't understand what RARE is, here is the definition: Market gossip that hasn't been tested through all formal journalistic channels (public relations executives, bankers etc). The rumour might be total codswallop but then again there may be something in it, so it's worth airing on Betaville."

So, what is the story, or lack of story as it may turn out to be? Microsoft is rumored to have approached a couple of financial institutions, namely Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs, to examine whether or not BlackBerry would be a good acquisition. No offers have been made and while figures like $7 billion have been thrown around, those are purely speculative. Why would Microsoft want BlackBerry at all? Patents? Enterprise? Who knows.

The absolute truth is that BlackBerry is going to be linked with a whole bunch of companies (like the ones Digitimes added to the mix from seemingly nowhere), and right now Microsoft is one of those. It could happen. It could just as easily be nothing. Businesses do business-y type things daily, and who knows which other companies Microsoft may be looking at acquiring to strengthen itself. But since this one is pure market gossip, for now, we'll reserve any kind of judgment.

Source: Betaville via CrackBerry