Once upon a time, RIM used to be the leader in the US and Global smart phone market share. In the time frame of just over a year, a lot has changed for RIM. It was just over a year ago, RIM was still number one and it was even reported on this site (click here for story). Then, with the success of Apple’s iPhone 4 and plenty of manufacturers adopting the Android OS onto their devices, RIM is now caught in a long war for smart phone superiority.
Battles
Though RIM is in this long war, there is still plenty that is keeping RIM in the fight. For starters, just recently, the PlayBook became the first tablet to be approved for use by the US Federal Government. I had to throw that in there but off the tablet talk, BlackBerries are known for their security. Sure, it was once known for its email capabilities and its push notification system but with the development of the smart phone market, that’s a thing of the past, though for some reason we keep living off that glory. What the other smart phones lack is in security. There’s a reason why celebrities, government officials (around the world), news anchors, etc., have a BlackBerry device. Plain and simple, it’s security. Security is part of the BlackBerry DNA.
Recruitment
If your not in a field that requires the type of security BlackBerry provides, why have a BlackBerry? Most likely the answer is BlackBerry Messenger (BBM). It seems that RIM earned its reputation for push technology with emails (that got them far). When it started to die out, BBM did the rest of the work in carrying them until today. What was brilliant about BBM was not the service it provided but the fact that it was already pre-installed on BlackBerry devices. Why was this important? Because it was readily available for any and all BlackBerry users to use. If you had to download BBM, I would bet that a large majority of BlackBerry owners would not be using BBM. With all this being said, back to the recruitment part, since BBM is exclusive to BlackBerry owners, why not own a BlackBerry to be part of this exclusive community? Exclusivity is nice.
Getting back in the fight
RIM has a big chance to get back into the fight, that’s if RIM plays their cards right. RIM said a few weeks ago that it will be releasing most of their OS7 devices all around the same time. This is a first for RIM but it is a good thing. BlackBerry is all about options as Kevin from CrackBerry always says. Sure, supply and demand is a great thing but another great technique is saturating the market. I feel this is especially important and crucial timing because if RIM manages to release all, if not most of their OS7 devices before the “Back to School” season and the release of the new iPhone, they can flood the market with tons of exciting and new BlackBerries. Everyone always wants to have the latest and greatest and as a consumer, if you want a device that features a full touch screen, you have the Torch 9850, if not, you have hybrid models (half touch/half keyboard) like the Torch 9810 and the Bold 9900/9930. The list goes on and for RIM, the time is now.
We won’t know for sure what will happen. All we can do is speculate. However, I do feel that RIM will continue to be a competitor in the smart phone market for years to come, for a number of reasons which I didn’t list above. As a BlackBerry fanatic/user/lover, all I can do is watch, wait, and write as RIM goes to work on the front lines. What are your thoughts about the direction RIM is heading in? Will you continue to stand by BlackBerry? What will push you away? Share your comments below or start up your own topic in our forums. We look forward to reading what you have to say.
Sources:
- Main Picture
- Second Picture – US Market
- Global Market