TORONTO — BlackBerry is publishing an open letter in major publications around the world in a bid to reassure customers that they can count on the distressed smartphone company.

The letter was released Monday on Twitter and will be published today. It acknowledges “these are no doubt challenging times for us and we don’t underestimate the situation,” but says “you can continue to count on BlackBerry.” The missive notes that BlackBerry has substantial cash and is debt free.

BlackBerry is considering a sale or break-up of its operations. The Canadian company announced last month that Fairfax Financial Holdings, which owns 10 percent of the company, signed a letter of intent that “contemplates” buying BlackBerry for $4.7 billion.

— From wire reports