Research In Motion (RIM) in my opinion is currently a technological chameleon. It does not know whether it is an enterprise juggernaut or a consumer electronics manufacturer. It seems the company is struggling with their identity and are on a bit of a downward spiral.
I must confess I am surprised that the RIM shareholders have given their blessing to having 2 co-CEO’s. One ultimate responsible person is the norm and it ensures that one vision is given to all the staff. I am not convinced that by having 2 co-CEO’s someone is ultimately responsible for product decisions etc. I am a firm believer in proper structure and ensuring that the vision of the company is guided by one person.
I think the problem with BlackBerry is product iteration. They have gotten comfortable with being the corporate favourite and never thought their market would be shaken by Apple. I am not saying that they make bad products (disclaimer: I own a BlackBerry and cannot function without it) but none of their products have a “WOW” factor.
They need their tablet, The PlayBook to be a success. However they seem to be raising the white flag in some manner of submission to Apple and Android. The fact that they are willing to open up their operating system to a rival, to have multiple applications for the initial product launch is a concern. A colleague recently made an observation that maybe we are heading to a more open application environment as potentially more companies partner with others. It seems that there are really only 2 environments that will dominate and the rest is going to have to fight for survival. I suspect that we may see partnerships such as Nokia has done with Microsoft becoming more common. Here is an absolutely crazy thought for all those conspiracy theorists. What happens if Microsoft acquires RIM or goes into a partnership with them?
The mobile consumer is a difficult one, they demand a slick UI (User Interface), Operating System that runs like a dream and a device that does not need charging often. Ok, the Apple fan boys will not be happy with it, but the iPhone needs constant charging.
Do you think BlackBerry will continue to lead in South Africa? I really hope they will.
