The brand is already struggling to return to a smartphone space that is only increasing in competition.

The attempts being made by BlackBerry to return to a level of success in the smartphone hardware business is certainly an ongoing one, but it appears that the company has been fighting an uphill battle.

Analysts from Scotia Capital are now saying that the company will be reaching a “critical juncture” in 2016.

As much as CEO John Chen has insisted that BlackBerry will not be leaving the hardware industry and while a number of highly strategic moves have been made to help ensure that its smartphones will keep heading to store shelves – and into the hands of consumers and business users – the fact is that it is continuing to lose subscribers and money. In fact, just as the analysts made their prediction, the company also revealed that it would be laying off 125 employees in Canada, in addition to 75 workers in Florida who would also be losing their jobs.

The analysts see a number of different strategic options still left for BlackBerry as this year progresses.

The Scotia Capital analysts said that there are three main strategic options that the Ontario, Canada-based company currently has within its reach. The first would be to step out of hardware while facing a one-time cost that they predict to be around $100 million (USD). The second would be to license its operating system or brand as a whole to another hardware manufacturer. The third would occur if the company’s hardware segment manages to reach profitability this year, in which case it should continue its operations.

A great deal of the decisions that will be made by the company will depend on whether or not its latest smartphone, the Priv slider mobile phone powered by Android, ends up being successful in its sales. Investors have a very close eye on whether or not that key mobile device is managing to appeal to enough consumers to make it worthwhile.

At the same time, BlackBerry has been continuing its evolution as a provider of enterprise software. It could end up spending as much as $1 billion (USD) on the acquisition of companies over the next couple of years and still manage to keep up a net cash balance of $500 million (USD) in that business.

TrendForce predicts surge of the global mobile payments market through 2019

The global mobile payments market is expected to surge this year. TrendForce, an analyst firm based in Taiwan, has released a new report that predicts the strong growth that the market will experience, with growth expected to pick up momentum through 2019. According to the report, the number of mobile payments being made is expected to reach $620 billion by the end of this year, up from the $450 billion that was recorded in 2015.

Companies look to find a place in China’s mobile commerce market

TrendForce believes that Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and similar services from large companies will become more popular throughout the world. The growth of the mobile payments market is expected to be secured in China, where companies are fighting for the favor of those interested in mobile commerce. China is considered the world’s largest and fastest growing mobile payments market, with several companies specializing in digital commerce having found major success by engaging the growing number of mobile consumers.

Alibaba and Tencent ensure that consumers are involved in the mobile commerce space

Massive companies like Alibaba and Tencent have established a powerful foothold in the mobile payments market. These companies have ensured that it will be difficult for other companies to compete in China. These companies have also succeeded in making mobile payments more secure, which has created a great deal of confidence among consumers and ensuring that they will participate in the mobile commerce space.

Biometric technology will make the mobile payments space more secure

According to the report from TrendForce, the global mobile payments market will hit $930 billion by 2018 and $1.08 trillion by the end of 2019. By that time, mobile transactions are likely to be protected by biometric technology. TrendForce expects that more than 40% of smartphones throughout the world will be equipped with fingerprint scanners, which will be used to protect consumer information when they are making a mobile transaction. This degree of security is likely to encourage more consumers to make mobile payments in the coming years.