Can BlackBerry 10 October release save RIM?
BlackBerry maker RIM troubles have been much publicized in recent times as it continues to lose market share to both Android and the iPhone. The BlackBerry handsets were once the must have accessory for business users that have now switched to rival platforms, and today we are asking if a BlackBerry 10 October release can save RIM?
A couple of days ago the management of the company temporarily froze the shares in RIM, but according to ZDNet trading in the shares resumed on the NASDAQ shortly after. It is thought that the shares were suspended because Chief executive, Thorsten Heins, revealed that the company were likely to suffer an operating loss for the first fiscal quarter, which ends today and so to protect RIM’s market cap.
The news confirmed what many analysts have feared about the company as it sees sales dropping ahead of the BlackBerry 10 release, but some are wondering if the company can hold out that long. We have already told you that the company is reducing its global work force, and it seems the company is running out of ideas as it pins its future hopes on the BlackBerry 10 platform.
RIM themselves has stated that its future stake is resting on the upcoming platform and the next generation of smartphones. It hasn’t all been bad news about the company though as it will have over $2.1 billion in cash reserves, but RIM is continuing to cut costs. Shares have plummeted eighty percent in the last twelve months, and it really needs to get BlackBerry out to consumers now.
It’s a similar situation to what happened with Palm as it had next generation hardware waiting to be released, but was months from getting any product out to consumers and was bought up by HP, and will all know what happened then.
Meanwhile an article on CrackBerry is speculating that BlackBerry 10 should be released on October 10th this year. The fact that RIM is now run by a new management team it would be a great idea to see a coordinated global launch of the new platform. Trouble is you have to wonder if it is already too late for the company and whether it can recover from where it finds itself now. Do you think BlackBerry 10 can save RIM?
Comments
27 thoughts on “Can BlackBerry 10 October release save RIM?”
I think BB is dead…
IF I were developer, I don’t want to support as many platform as it could be.
I would like to focus on 1 or 2 platform only….
because having more platform means spending more $$$
So, if BB and WP7 dead, I only need to support Android and iOS…
Therefore,
I believe BB have no chance.
All the developer right now were too busy with Android and iOS
and BB has already lost the user and the hype.
By the time BB10 out, RIM already dead
At most they have another year of struggling, like WP7 struggling, then dead.
Cycnus:
You are wrong on so many levels.
First:Â BB has critical mass with government and they are increasing there overall service subscriptions world wide (up to 78 million)
Second: They have a strong following like Bruner (and myself) – I had an Iphone and I switched back. I used an overpriced Ipad but I opted to buy (3) Playbooks instead.
Third – They have no debt and positive cash flow.
Forth – Often when companies are down, they can make the tough decisions, weed out the weak employees, revamp the management, re-kick start the innovation. I have been through one of those transformation and it can be very powerful.
Fifth – they have a fundamentally good product – it is functional and effective for business needs, it just aint sexy and it is poorly marketed.Â
I am quite excited for RIM. I have a positive outlook and I am looking forward to BB10.
 I think you also need to see how much time RIM need to add BBM, calender into Playbook.
Software is not RIM strength, and RIM can’t compete with Google and Apple speed.
Furthermore, secure, instant messaging, etc is also already on the other platform. Not to mention RIM server hiatus last year. Which mean BB10 is just another touch screen OS, nothing really special about it.
In the end, it will be the consumers who decide the faith of RIM.. so RIM will have to market the hell out of BB10. Â I also have BB phone and PlayBook (x3) and hope they can make some kind of come back from this. Â But to add to Cycnus comment of BB10 being just another touch screen, one must keep in mind that IOS as not seen much advancements as far as UI since it came out and is slowly becoming the old guy on the block.
Newsflash for you.
The things you like in BB won’t be available in BB10, because BB10 is not the better BB. It’s target market it’s not you, but the iphone/android user. Which is irony…..
The things that most BB user still swear by it is the BBM, and BBM were already made absolute with What’s App, Gtalk, YM, MSN, QQ, Nimbuzz, etc.
I know you still can say BBM is secure, etc, etc. But would RIM survive with only pentagon (1/2 million user) + you/ BB adict (2 million user?)… The rest of the world want open platform, not some locked-down to BB only apps.
Not sure on your numbers there-2M bbm users with a 78m userbase? Also, bbm isn’t only secure; its fast reliable and has almost no lag/downtime. Talk about the network issue last year all you want, what’s app has crapped out daily for me. Superior product I’m sure.
 I’m talking about US government + BB adict number.
Not just some teenage/housewife BB user in indonesia, middle east, south america, etc.
Blackberry is all about efficiency. There is no other divice that lets me do what I need to do, quicker and easier than my Blackberry. BB10 will build on that. Hence ANY person that wants a decent, reliable communication device, will find Blackberry appealing. There are not many apps in the store, but the ones that are there are very good. I do not see the point in having 7000 bazillion (CR)apps in your app store. It is not an asset.
iPhone is old. It cannot multitask properly, the reception is atrocious and and typing an email with “auto correct” takes more time than writing a letter by hand. Unless the iPhone 5 is truly revolutionary, Apple stock will start to slide. Ipad 3 was uninspiring and Siri works only in the US. Slowly they are fading…
Android is so glitchy, I find myself having to restart my phone several times a day and although they are getting better, there is no real innovation. Nor is it a secure device. Government / Big Business will NEVER risk their data on an Android device. I like it, dont get me wrong, but it’s not controlled well enough to be a viable business solution.
BB10 all the way. Let’s hope they launch it properly.
If BB 10 were great
All those RIM high-rank personal would not jump ship.
LOL
bingo. LOL
When a ship shows signs of sinking, the rats are the first to leave…
”
There is no other divice that lets me do what I need to do, quicker and easier than my Blackberry ” did you not hear about “smoked by windows phone”?
Actually, you have to take into consideration the infrastructure rim has to put in place to build a new OS, messaging, BBM. Apple and android just create a client and let it communicate over the internet. Any developer here could probably build that in short time. BB has to build security infrastructure and implemented across their network. That’s were they loose time. Anyway Apple and Google still don’t have an mail client! they all use MS active-sync. It’s easy to create the client side of the apps, the server infrastructure is what separates the men from the boys!
How can u call iPad over priced?
Sixth – RIM has strange culture and self distruct political environment.Â
In RIM if a new hired person figure out major problem and introduce efficient approach, both manager and his buddy group member will proof their wrong approach works. just like someone point out driving a car is right way, pushing a car is wrong way, then both manager and his buddy group member will hate you, and proof that 3 person can also move the car by pushing it. cheating email will be sent to some vice president, saying like: see, the car moving, pushing a car is a natural part of the process, in order to deny new hired contribution of introducing skill of drive a car, they have to deny merit of driving a car.
Â
It is very strange company culture and strange company political environment, it promote stealing and cheating skill. RIM’s management may be a typical instance in MBA course.
Â
This culture deny or steal hardworking team members’ contribution/innovation, generate strange political environment, destroy RIM.
Learn grammar.
Don’t be racist
English is not my mother language…
Do you have any objection?
Racism has nothing to do with Language. English is not my first Language either.Â
 If you’re developing applications without paying people to do it for you, its actually much more cost effective to develop for all 4 platforms, as 3 out of 4 of them, excluding ios, are virtually free to develop for.
 Really?
Are you not counting time spent work on each project.
I mean..
Let say the main code is worth 1000 hour man work
and supporting each platform cost another 200 hour work.
how can it would be more cost effective to support more platform… unless I’m unemployed.
Â
and as the apps got more complex, so does supporting the other platform will become… more complex…. more time consuming.
The bb OS is stable add a call blocking feature and better free apps basically everything the iPhone has and the android market and we good. BB still has one of the biggest advantages I can shut my phone off and have it power on by itself when I’m ready lets see an iPhone do that. Stop trying to out due and improve the basics.
I came to Blackberry via their Bold 9900 in the fall of last year. Â I got it for messaging and I’m still seeing amazing new things it does like automatically take my travel itinerary and put it in my calendar, or clear memory when I put it in the holster. Â For messaging it simply can’t be beat.
Last month I purchased a Playbook. I’ve subsequently bought 2 more for family. Â I love them; priced right, nice hardware and gestures that even allow my 70 year old mother in law to use it. If this is Blackberry 10, much as I love my Bold 9900, Â With respect to developers, I’ve now purchased about $70 worth of apps. Wonder what the average user spends on those other platforms?
I’ll be buying more BB phones. Â RIM is just experiencing the Osborne effect as people hold off purchasing until the new devices launch.
The end of RIM is not now. There are much better off than Apple was for years, and look at Apple now.
Grow up, Blackberry will do well; just give it some time. The lower the stock price goes the better it looks as a buy.
 No BB is not dead. recently reports said BB is on top again in SA. And there are many people who are looking for BB 10 OS. But if RIM goes fully touch screen, they will lose more customers. Actually BB isn’t a BB without a physical kb in my opinion.
This article is pretty weak. Only time will tell, but I do fear the worst and time is not on rim’s side.
Your slip is showing greek swan. Your grammar has improved by leaps & bounds, could you possibly be from these parts . . .? Â
Yes if bb get onbord with adobe in the new OS-10 they will steel the market I think and I can see Iphone getting hit hard by the move BB have a reserve of $1.2 b to see it safe as its new OS-10 steels the market once more so stand by
i phone made in China cost from $600-800 each lot of over heat incident have been reported.
Black Berry made in Canada cost from $500-700 each no over heat incident ever reported.
I will never pay so money to buy a chinese produce. U can walk into any apple store and tell them that your phone is over heated. They will hand u a new iphone whitout any question. Why? Because they know its alway happen to there phone. What do u expect when it made in china.