RIM is hiring a bank to evaluate "strategic options", but then what?

5. windowsRocks posted on 17 Apr 2012, 12:17 6

How long BBM can sustain RIM? RIP RIM

9. Commentator posted on 17 Apr 2012, 12:38 6

Windows may not be so unlikely, especially if the rumor that MS is looking to invest $3.5b in Blackberry is true. I;d like to see a Microsoft-Nokia-Blackberry alliance: the companies that we thought were down-and-out get their revenge!

Whatever the case, though, Blackberry needs to switch OS, whether that be WP or Android. Blackberry still has enormously high brand recognition (like Nokia) and could still salvage a spot in the market based solely on that.

11. Chronos posted on 17 Apr 2012, 13:45 1

Doubt it.

8. jmoita2 posted on 17 Apr 2012, 12:36 1

Inteligent points. I'm calling Balsille right now...

12. Scott_H posted on 17 Apr 2012, 14:02 4

They did lose money last quarter (the link is in the article); they have plenty of cash on hand, but their market share is imploding, which could make it harder to get back to profitability even if a really sweet BB10 phone is released this fall.

Still, if they do put a really great device out RIM will be fine, if perhaps never again a market leader like they once were. That's the key, and the fact that RIM itself is looking to hire financial consulting firms to figure out what to do suggests they may not be so confident in how that will play out.

I'll keep my fingers crossed!

13. downphoenix posted on 17 Apr 2012, 16:20 0

their marketshare is doing bad, but they still sell about 3-4x more phonse than WP7, and that's WITH the sales figures of 1q 2012 with phones like the Nokia Lumia 800.

Its funny how people just completely ignore the failure of WP7 so far (Which has a worse marketshare than what WebOS had when Palm sold it off to HP) and take RIM, who's still outselling WP7, and bash them to heck and back.

14. snowgator posted on 17 Apr 2012, 20:41 4

First off- as a reformed BlackBerry user and current WP user, both yours and @DJQStorm's points are valid. However, there are differences:

1) Microsoft isn't looking at Windows Phones as a cash cow. They are looking at it as a viable and needed part of their new ecosystem. If laptops replace PC's in the home (which they are) and Tablet's replace Laptops for the mobile user (likely), than Microsoft needs mobile phones as well to round out their software. They WANT an OS to compete with Android and iOS, and need it for a complete ecosystem. RIM needs the OS to remain not only viable, but in business.

2) Microsoft can afford to let WP grow, and can absorb losses for many quarters as their profits come from other sources. RIM depends on handsets for their only source of income.

3) Microsoft is only developing the software side, and has many partners to help devlop the hardware side, obviously most importantly Nokia. RIM is saddled with both and now appears to realize that they cost and infrastructure is HUGE to do both.

4) Microsoft is selling their vision of the future at every given chance, with their established software leading the way to better mobile OS sales, both tablet and phones. RIM has shown no vision of anything past the next couple of quarters.

I think Mobile is better off with as much competition as possible, and with BILLIONS of handsets sold each year, I am sure 4 good OS's could survive. But RIM is finding out that it is easier to fall behind than to catch back up. RIM never even realized they were behind until BB7 devices sales fell apart. Now, they are where MS was in late 2009 with Windows Mobile- just trying to get a direction. But, MS has deeper pockets and strong cash flowing into their corporation to adapt and survive. RIM doesn't. That is why most people are worried for RIM's survival.

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