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What does RIM need to do to become competitive again?

T

thermal

Member
I am reading today that the Blackberry maker is posting a net loss for the quarter, and that ex-CEO Jim Balsillie is departing the company.

It's obvious that Android (and Apple) have decimated RIM's business; they have greatly advanced the smartphone market over the last five years, while RIM has struggled to change.

My question, as both a Canadian and a believer that strong competition is good for all: What does RIM need to do to become competitive again? What do they realistically need to do to become competitive with Android, Apple, and perhaps Microsoft?

RIM posts loss as new CEO begins to clean house | Top News | Reuters

"TORONTO (Reuters) - Research In Motion posted a net loss and its first slump in BlackBerry shipments for its holiday quarter since 2006, as its new CEO announced the initial steps in a strategic overhaul and would not rule out an eventual sale of the company."

"A handful of senior executives, including former co-CEO and current director Jim Balsillie, will depart."

"Chief Executive Thorsten Heins, who took over from Balsillie and co-CEO Mike Lazaridis in January, said he was still focusing on a turnaround of the company, which has been hammered by competition from Apple and Google's Android in recent years."
 
Honestly, I don't think RIM will ever recover from this in any shape or form of its past self. I also don't see any foreign investor coming to its rescue, since the Canadian govt would likely block any attempt.

I see RIM becoming a primarily 3rd world semi-smart phone producer and losing more than half its work force. In the smart phone and tablet arena, it is already dead. They are hemmoraging money.
 
As someone who lives in DC, Blackberries are everywhere. It's still a part of the corporate/government lifestyle. Unfortunately, I think that's only where it is. Android and iPhones are "hip", "cool". RIM has tried to portray something like that with BBM in their past advertising, but it really hasn't taken off.
I think their business model is fine, but they need to steal a bit from Android and iOS. Get better apps (they're doing this with Android easily porting apps to BB), upgrade your hardware, market to younger folks.
 
I kind of have to agree with Covart. Their executive "shake-up" recently was a disaster, no new blood, so just doubling down on the failed leadership of the past. I think the beginning of the end for blackberry was the complete and utter failure of their Storm products. They should have NEVER released that phone in the condition it was. And now that Apple, and to a lesser extent, Android and WP7 are gaining in the corporate world, RIM will be obsolete soon I'm afraid.
 
Yep, I know quite a few people who have left BB for iphones. Exchange and server based email support isn't a concern of mine but I know the other platforms have made great strides in optimizing it.
 
Well, if this article is accurate it would appear that RIM is at least considering giving up the consumer market entirely and is actively seeking a buyer. They've so far behind the competition and it would appear with initial reports about BB 10 will remain so for quite a while. They're now trying to accelerate from a crawl on a business highway that's already going 70 and accelerating hard. Frankly, it would take someone(s) of a Steve Jobs type genius or better to pull them out of the situation they're now in. I don't see that happening. They still have a big enterprise business, but Apple and all the Android vendors can smell the blood in the water there. More so, that enterprise market used to belong to M$ who I imagine after squandering it themselves might like a second chance? They can probably survive on their own for 3-5 years selling to a diminishing enterprise and a growing ultra low margin third world, but I think they'll sell themselves off long before that. Then they'll join Palm and Windows Mobile in the dead smartphone inovators museum wing. RIP RIM.
 
Meanwhile, Nokia is plugging along.. maybe limping along depending on where you read about it. I guess China is a frontier for them.

I naively thought RIM would soar with the other touch screen makers when the Storm was announced. Boy was that wrong. ;) It made me wonder if fear of Apple's litigation aggression was a portion of their lack of full blown development of touch screen stuff. I imagined a Blackberry tablet down the line, etc.
 
I think RIM needs to do a compl;ete redesign of their entire company. Ditch all the old names and styles. Release a whole new line of phones a basic keyboard messaging phone thats NOT a smart phone. A mid range portrait smartphone (similar to bold touch) and then a full size touch screen powerhouse. don't have 3 different variations of each, just have those 3 phones. Have all 3 be available across all carriers, and focus on making a really futuristic interface. RIM is in a perfect spot right now to release something realy big in the mobile world right now, sadly i they don't I think they will be of of business by 2015
 
Outside my corporate environment I see loads of blackberry devices. Usually young women, early 20s. Not sure why. Possibly finger nails.

Even in our corporate environment, I'm preferring android and even iPhone. Blackberries can be awful to activate.
 
They need to do what they are planning to do....focus on corporate America, enterprise business. Stop wasting money in the consumer market. I got a feeling Microsoft might wanna plan on doing the same thing soon if things dont change for WP7.
 
While my girlfriend and her entire office love BlackBerry they all admit that it isn't long for this world.

Just like Palm did, RIM sat around with the same old same old and let others come along and surpass them. At this point I only see two options for RIM.

Option 1: The Nokia Route
They can make great hardware. The Bold, Curve and even the newer Torch line are really well made. If RIM was to choose another OS to partner with and start making hardware for that OS then they could turn things around. Adding in some of their own apps like BBM couldn't hurt things.

Option 2: The (Modified) Palm Route
WebOS was a pretty good little OS, but the hardware that went with it left much to be desired. With RIM the reverse is the case right now so they could go for a total OS overhaul and come out with something much much better that could be more in line with Android and iOS, but continue to use the hardware and maybe even the form factors that people like.
 
TheBrit said:
Two words: BlackBerry Messenger.
Click to expand...

Yes but its pointless. The only benefit is for corporate users who if Exchange / BES goes down, they can still contact each other. As a messenger client / service, it is the most restrictive from an end user perspective.
 
I think Blackberry need to clarify their range a little. Perhaps have fewer devices than they have. Too many curves etc.

Have a couple of high end, couple of mid and a couple of low end. Spend more on design for those mid and low end ones. Have the BOLD Keyboard across the range.
 
OfTheDamned said:
While my girlfriend and her entire office love BlackBerry they all admit that it isn't long for this world.

Just like Palm did, RIM sat around with the same old same old and let others come along and surpass them. At this point I only see two options for RIM.

Option 1: The Nokia Route
They can make great hardware. The Bold, Curve and even the newer Torch line are really well made. If RIM was to choose another OS to partner with and start making hardware for that OS then they could turn things around. Adding in some of their own apps like BBM couldn't hurt things.

Option 2: The (Modified) Palm Route
WebOS was a pretty good little OS, but the hardware that went with it left much to be desired. With RIM the reverse is the case right now so they could go for a total OS overhaul and come out with something much much better that could be more in line with Android and iOS, but continue to use the hardware and maybe even the form factors that people like.
Click to expand...


this is what I think too!!

but .. option 3: fire sale!... any worth while patents that apple or google would want to help sue the other? sale everything off.. and get out of that game.. and start developing for Apple, google, MS
 
I'd agree I don't think rim will come back other than a corporate device

Rim has security that's all

Bbm and email was there biggest selling points and with android and iPhone doing those things even better and beyond...looks pretty grim
 
SUroot said:
Yes but its pointless. The only benefit is for corporate users who if Exchange / BES goes down, they can still contact each other. As a messenger client / service, it is the most restrictive from an end user perspective.
Click to expand...

BBM is pointless to you and me but here in the UK it was very, very popular with teenage girls and those in their early 20s.
 
OfTheDamned said:
Just like Palm did, RIM sat around with the same old same old and let others come along and surpass them.
Click to expand...
It's odd how companies fail to learn from the mistakes of others then make the same old same old mistakes.

Did RIM not see this coming?

There are times when you need to stick with what you do best and times when you need to move on. RIM made the wrong call on this one.
 
TheBrit said:
It's odd how companies fail to learn from the mistakes of others then make the same old same old mistakes.

Did RIM not see this coming?

There are times when you need to stick with what you do best and times when you need to move on. RIM made the wrong call on this one.
Click to expand...

Those that don't pay attention to history are doomed to repeat it.
 
As my first smart phone was a blackberry, RIM will always have a place in my heart... but the UI isn't very friendly or easy to pick up. It leaves a *lot* to be desired. But, if they slink back to the corporate world and bide their time, they could come out okay I think. They used to only be corporate really, I mean, only business people had them. Then they started getting popular for while (hell, nearly half the people I knew had BBs)... I'd like to see a full return. If they do pick up android, which is something that they probably should consider, I'd hope they customize it. And I don't mean like throw Sense or TouchWiz at it. I mean, add features that Blackberry people want. Or maybe combine something from android into their OS. Anyway, here's to RIM and their favorite son the Blackberry!

As far as BBM goes, it is pretty cool. But the whole PIN exchange is a huge pain in the ass.

All this being said, if I had to go back to blackberry, it'd be like reuniting with an old friend. And it wouldn't be that bad. Though I'd really miss my evo ;)

Of course, another option does exist for RIM. They could come up with some outlandish claim (we invented smartphone, so everyone is now infringing on us) and try and sue everyone. </sarcasm>
 
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