Back in 1999, a Canadian company called Research in Motion (RIM) designed and developed a feature phone that would ultimately begin the smartphone revolution that we know today. Known as the Blackberry, this device certainly took the corporate world by storm and is still a firm favorite amongst the so-called Professionals. By end of 2010 sales were still solid but some say were losing ground to other smartphone companies. RIM claims some 50 million subscribers but when it comes to smartphone sales, some statistics places it fifth behind the likes of Apple and Google's Android, with popularity apparently waning. So why is Blackberry falling behind?
Let's start by comparing Apples and Blackberries, particularly in the Apps market and up to a half million for Apple compared with around 3,000+ for Blackberry, so no comparison here. More negatives, Blackberry's built-in browser, which is shambolic and its small touch screens which fail to light anyone's fire. Even its carrier, Verizon has relegated it to the back of the shelf in favor of the sexy Android. Android's OS is definitely the hottest system in the smartphone world and it is disappointing that RIM has allowed itself to be so outdone in such a short space of time.
On the plus side, Blackberry does still have a robust platform, particularly for businesses' needs and it is enterprise support that keeps Blackberry in the running but even that is under some threat. Take British bank Standard Chartered which last year announced a migration of its workforce from BlackBerrys to iPhones. Given the scale of the company and its 75,000 employees, it signaled a major shift in handsets for some businessmen in the banking sector. Blackberry has always been seen as a secure option but iPhone addressed some of these issues in their 3.0 version (bringing us remote wipe and remote lock) and that certainly swayed some to make the move.
In terms of Apps, Blackberry just does not match up to the iPhone (3,000+ compared to up to a half million!). Neither does it compare to iPhone, Android or even the WP7 when it comes to mobile Web experience and especially in terms of media consumption, which is what the consumer now demands of their smartphone. Smartphone users have a voracious appetite for media and Blackberry is not their first choice.
RIM needs to take a leaf out of Microsoft's book and re-invent itself perhaps if it is to become relevant and reach a wider audience in the smartphone world. Its apparent complacency may see it fall further in the market and if more of the business world switches to iPhones for example, it could be very bad news for Research in Motion, indeed. Maybe its Playbook tablet will get people interested in the Blackberry name again and it could be one to watch this year. Mobile marketers will watch the overall Blackberry sales with interest as these trends are important to those working with mobile marketing so that they can continually identify their target audience.
Let's start by comparing Apples and Blackberries, particularly in the Apps market and up to a half million for Apple compared with around 3,000+ for Blackberry, so no comparison here. More negatives, Blackberry's built-in browser, which is shambolic and its small touch screens which fail to light anyone's fire. Even its carrier, Verizon has relegated it to the back of the shelf in favor of the sexy Android. Android's OS is definitely the hottest system in the smartphone world and it is disappointing that RIM has allowed itself to be so outdone in such a short space of time.
On the plus side, Blackberry does still have a robust platform, particularly for businesses' needs and it is enterprise support that keeps Blackberry in the running but even that is under some threat. Take British bank Standard Chartered which last year announced a migration of its workforce from BlackBerrys to iPhones. Given the scale of the company and its 75,000 employees, it signaled a major shift in handsets for some businessmen in the banking sector. Blackberry has always been seen as a secure option but iPhone addressed some of these issues in their 3.0 version (bringing us remote wipe and remote lock) and that certainly swayed some to make the move.
In terms of Apps, Blackberry just does not match up to the iPhone (3,000+ compared to up to a half million!). Neither does it compare to iPhone, Android or even the WP7 when it comes to mobile Web experience and especially in terms of media consumption, which is what the consumer now demands of their smartphone. Smartphone users have a voracious appetite for media and Blackberry is not their first choice.
RIM needs to take a leaf out of Microsoft's book and re-invent itself perhaps if it is to become relevant and reach a wider audience in the smartphone world. Its apparent complacency may see it fall further in the market and if more of the business world switches to iPhones for example, it could be very bad news for Research in Motion, indeed. Maybe its Playbook tablet will get people interested in the Blackberry name again and it could be one to watch this year. Mobile marketers will watch the overall Blackberry sales with interest as these trends are important to those working with mobile marketing so that they can continually identify their target audience.
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