No BlackBerry 10 this year? Yes. This announcement hit us face first and we had nothing to cushion the blow but the rock hard ground on which our hearts dropped and shattered into infinite pieces. We are now slowly transitioning from the in-shock moment to the what-next moment, from which two opposing forces will be born – the believers and those angered from disappointment. Which side will you take?
Desperation leads to desperate decisions, and I think RIM has made it clear that they are not desperate – they wouldn’t sell. RIM was always respected as the trendsetter but somewhere along the line, they got too comfortable and forgot to lead the pack. BlackBerries were known as THE smartphone and while they busked in the once was but now dim spotlight, the likes of iOS and Android snuck up, snatched the spotlight and sped past. When BlackBerry reacted, they sang a monotonous song that nobody still cared to listen to(OS7). iOS and Android platforms had proven that people wanted an ecosystem rich with applications over security concerns but BlackBerry chose to ignore this and maintain as just “the most secure platform” and it is this move that led BlackBerry to what media has painted as the dead end.
While many are now packing their bags and leaving RIM behind, European entrepreneur Luca Filigheddu (Twimbow, Sitòfono) is actually joining RIM. Starting next week, Filigheddu will become part of RIM’s Developer Relations team as BlackBerry Developer Evangelist for the Italian market. And when asked why he joined RIM at a time when it seems there is nothing left to fight for, he had this to say:
There are a couple of reasons behind this choice, first and foremost the great challenges RIM has been facing in the past months and the incredible effort they are putting to change the skin of the company completely before the launch of their new smartphone based on BlackBerry 10 OS.
For this reason, I am very proud to have been chosen for this important role. RIM is creating an outstanding Developer Relations team around the world, headed by VP Alec Saunders, dedicated to help developers bring their great apps to the new upcoming operating system.
BlackBerry 10 is gonna be an incredible revolution for the smartphone market, a truly open platform, capable of running Android apps natively and also the platform that is easiest in terms of porting any application to. Moreover, it’s the only mobile OS truly multi-tasking, open to possibilities that could have been never imagined before, with outstanding performances.
BlackBerry did finally wake up from the trance, looked around and saw they had lost first place and were now last in line. The only logical solution was to abandon old methods and reinvent the BlackBerry operating system – BB10. Now with the recent news about the delay of BB10 while some see it as a fail, I see a highly risky tactical approach to RIM’s rebirth. Releasing BB10 end of the year – along with other phone companies – will not do any good on the impact RIM is aiming to make. Releases by other phone companies like Apple would shadow BB10 making it seem like nothing more than a follow up and make up device to the OS7 and media would fill the web with spec comparisons when what RIM wants is for BB10 to be appreciated as an exclusive, unique platform. And because RIM is confident about their new operating system, they know when the time is right all the loyalists will find their way back.
RIM is doing a complete turn around with BB10 – build the show and not the audience, focus on the developers and attract the users not try the other way around. Some developers have said the “new” RIM is the best platform company for developers to work with today and VP of Developer Relations Alec Saunders says “We’re Committed”. I still say BlackBerry 10 is gonna be worth the wait, an incredible revolution for the smartphone market – a super phone.