tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17898384.post6468291682368468885..comments2024-03-25T21:41:06.801-07:00Comments on Mobile Opportunity: Rebuilding RIMMichael Macehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17966107280587843091noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17898384.post-81807522917892089952012-04-28T07:16:58.626-07:002012-04-28T07:16:58.626-07:00few suggestions, which i am sure many more could...few suggestions, which i am sure many more could have given earlier<br /><br />1 consider putting sim inside the RIM playbook<br />2 make playbook able to work on android as well<br />3 add voice call function among blackberry messenger users for a very very negligeable <br />ignorable per minute rate some thing like 0.00001 cents<br />4 make a wireless bridge between blackberry phone/tablet and desktop as well - of course<br />a windows adopt<br />5 make phone directory import/export able from an excel <br /><br />i am a blackberry loyalist for 7 years and any given time would vote that as important<br />tool for my success<br /><br />nvreddy@linkedin.com<br />reddy@emircom.comAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17898384.post-178056533518491492012-04-03T19:32:42.615-07:002012-04-03T19:32:42.615-07:00The quick win may not have to be a hit or a killer...The quick win may not have to be a hit or a killer product, but iMac is not a good example of a "just decent product that shores up the base". iMac emphasized simplicity, internet connectivity and the "looks". In that sense, it was a big hit, was a harbinger of what was to come from Apple and created an enormous amount of exceptionally positive free press. It is step 3 and 4 wrapped together, even though it did not have OSX, yet. <br /><br />By the way, Horace had a recent post where he could not find any mobile company that managed to succeed after starting to lose money. RIM may be the first to break this trend, but in a world where smartphone subscriber numbers are growing by leaps and bounds, simply not having a reduction is not a very positive signs.Tatilnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17898384.post-52494310544947251762012-04-03T17:27:58.876-07:002012-04-03T17:27:58.876-07:00I really think you under-estimate the power of qnx...I really think you under-estimate the power of qnx based bb10. rim is transitioning into the next decade of mobile computing. i really have to laugh at bloggers, journalists, and analysts who clearly didn't spend the time to listen to rim's entire conference call and simply regurgitate the same soundbites.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17898384.post-78048782353255645642012-04-03T10:53:37.288-07:002012-04-03T10:53:37.288-07:00I think RIM needs to jump to Step 4. You can't...I think RIM needs to jump to Step 4. You can't do a stability release on BB7 - that's the BB Bold. It's on the market. It's easily the best BlackBerry ever, and it isn't helping RIM's declining base in the enterprise one bit. RIM needs to move to a new platform to meet the table stakes of a finger-optimized UI, if nothing else. But once you're on the new platform, the spotlight is on. If you don't have some kind of meaningful differentiation a) RIM's existing base will see it as a failure and abandon RIM even faster rather than stabilizing the losses, b) why would anyone put up with the inevitable problems you have with a new OS?<br /><br />Well, one way or the other, BlackBerry World at the end of the month ought to be interesting.Avi Greengarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14267040237664555562noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17898384.post-50497813923504420212012-04-03T09:10:13.739-07:002012-04-03T09:10:13.739-07:00Thanks, Avi!
You're probably right about the ...Thanks, Avi!<br /><br />You're probably right about the clarification, but this sort of word-mincing is something they should not be wasting time on. They need to put out a coherent, consistent message, not go back and correct things. The earnings announcement was effectively Heins' first announcement of his new strategy for the company, and it should have been crystal clear. You just can't have this kind of sloppiness when you're doing a turnaround.<br /><br />(Let me add that I'm objecting to their messaging; the limited things we've heard about the strategy itself sound directionally correct to me.)<br /><br />As for BB 10, I think it (or another modernized OS) is necessary for RIM to produce stable products. I'm not sure if they need BB 10 for doing step 3, because I don't know how much of their awful implementation of application fit and finish is driven by problems in the OS vs. bad product management. <br /><br />I'm sure a more modern OS is necessary infrastructure for step 4. It just won't differentiate them on its own.<br /><br />On the obvious followup question, I'd be all for them switching to Windows Mobile or Android if we could go back in time 18 months. But at this point, the disruption to their product plans would be so severe that I think its probably not worth it. <br /><br />I think an OS switch would be justified only if it turns out that BB 10 doesn't actually work, or if they were out of cash. Then it might make sense for them to switch in order to get a bucket of money from Microsoft. But cash isn't their main problem, it's lack of good products.Michael Macehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17966107280587843091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17898384.post-29259607583971256172012-04-03T08:29:44.077-07:002012-04-03T08:29:44.077-07:00Mike,
Two comments:
I don't think RIM is back...Mike,<br /><br />Two comments:<br />I don't think RIM is backtracking much, just clarifying some of the press coverage. RIM is not abandoning the consumer market - it can't. In most cases, enterprises do not provide employees with smartphones, so if you want to sell smartphones for enterprise use, you need to get consumers to buy them. RIM is just abandoning any notion that its products will be differentiated for consumer use cases. The new BlackBerries will play movies and music, but RIM will get somebody else to do the work there. Will it be optimal for that? No. It will be optimized for... well, some sort of business-y thing RIM hasn't disclosed yet. But RIM doesn't want people to think that they're only going to sell directly to IT managers procuring devices in volume, because that market is tiny (and RIM already owns most of it).<br /> <br />Are you suggesting that RIM get the Step 3 win on BB7, or on BB10? I wasn't sure reading your article whether you think BB10 is necessary at all.Avi Greengarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14267040237664555562noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17898384.post-74364509580482571062012-04-03T08:19:14.832-07:002012-04-03T08:19:14.832-07:00Timple, The Pureview 808 is not a statement on the...Timple, The Pureview 808 is not a statement on the value of Symbian, it's a brand building exercise for Nokia and a statement on the value of the engineers who worked for five years trying to implement this imaging technology on top of Symbian. It will take even more time to adapt it to Windows Phone, and in the meantime, this gives the team something tangible to show for all their work -- so they don't all just leave.Avi Greengarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14267040237664555562noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17898384.post-13247560189149251062012-04-03T00:54:40.738-07:002012-04-03T00:54:40.738-07:00Thanks for this great article - I hope leaders of ...Thanks for this great article - I hope leaders of tech companies - and especially Heins - will read that and act accordingly. <br /><br />I understood Heins that he wants to support both consumer and enterprise users with his devices but partner with others on the consumer features and focus own development on enterprise aspects. <br /><br />But then, why create an own new Platform (BB 10) instead of taking WP7 or Android and extend them with exclusive business features?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17898384.post-21092160958564917572012-04-03T00:39:40.673-07:002012-04-03T00:39:40.673-07:00Cloud seems like the best bet, focus on three main...Cloud seems like the best bet, focus on three main features in the business market, a core audience. Don't see them saving US consumers, maybe other markets where they have more of an ecosystem. I like that you generally see RIM as savable, I've been a bit more pessimistic but I'm starting to see there's a chance. As far as owning failure, own up to past mistakes including slow operating systems and less than spectacular hardware. Ensure the faithful that they'll always have a QWERTY option, and it won't take a back seat to touch. See what form factors real customers actually like and commit to that model (if it's bold just call it bold). Cross network radios one SKU whereever possible.tmzthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00753483522967979684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17898384.post-55409648537128693992012-04-03T00:15:05.363-07:002012-04-03T00:15:05.363-07:00Great article as always but I have to take you up ...Great article as always but I have to take you up on using Elop as a shining example - he is like someone who read a manual on brain surgery and then instantly went ahead with his first operation.<br /><br />You state later in the article that an absolute imperative is to keep the loyal base. Elop trashed his base with the burning platform memo. A lot of people love Symbian for good reasons and you tell them it is a pile of manure? It's like Steve telling the mac faithful in 1997 that OS8 was hopeless and he was moving to Windows...<br /><br />I think the imminent Pureview 808 release is a belated realisation of this in the hope that it buys them time to get Windows Phone into a state that diehard Symbian loyalists will accept because at the moment it lacks a lot from that perspective.Timplehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12447391706770147913noreply@blogger.com