(Telecompaper) BlackBerry plans to run a quick auction to sell off its assets, which could be wrapped up by November, people familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal. The smartphone maker announced in August that it had formed a special committee of board members to "explore strategic alternatives." Since then, the company has held preliminary talks with parties interested in buying part or all of the company, the paper said. It has narrowed its list of potential bidders to seek out in a sales process expected to begin soon. People close to the process said that financial players in Canada and the US, such as the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Bain Capital, are expected to consider bids, as well as some Asian tech companies including Chinese smartphone and computer maker Lenovo. Any deal will likely include more than one buyer each taking over part of the company, the report said.