BlackBerry says it isn’t failing yet in open letter

BlackBerry wants its customers and partners to know that it isn’t going anywhere just yet. In an open letter published today, the struggling cellphone manufacturer says that its future isn’t as bleak as many have suggested. “You can continue to count on BlackBerry,” the company writes in the letter, which is published by CrackBerry. “We have substantial cash on hand and a balance sheet that is debt free.” The company admits that getting back on its feet won’t be the easiest process, but it says that the headlines about how it’s performing have been overly dramatic.

The letter is a surprising acknowledgement from BlackBerry that it’s aware of the view customers and partners have of it — that it’s a sinking ship — and it clearly wants to dispel that notion. “Yes, there is a lot of competition out there,” the company admits, “and we know that BlackBerry is not for everyone.” Notably, the letter speaks directly to passionate BlackBerry users, assuring them that the company has their back. But the letter may not give investors the assurance that they’ve been looking for: the company writes that there’s a certain type of person who relies on its phones, but it doesn’t suggest how it might put BB10 devices in even more hands.