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The most interesting latest news on the topic: RIM |
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Research in Motion's BlackBerry 10 operating system has some appealing features, but its glaring absence of available apps will hurt the company's efforts to regain relevance.
The Waterloo, Ont.-based company focuses on making the user experience on its updated platform as "fluid" as possible. This includes new gestures so customers can see all notifications without leaving the device's home screen, a messaging app that includes IMs, emails and text messages in the same space and a new live tile system and app drawer. When the iPhone and Android smartphones began to emerge, RIM missed the boat by failing to evolve its OS to keep up. Now, the company is missing it again as it spends all its time updating BlackBerry's user interface while ignoring the health of its mobile app store. Features like live tiles on the home screen and an updated, intuitive keyboard are nice interface ideas, but they may not be enough to make customers go with BlackBerry over platforms with more established app stores. BlackBerry 10's ability to run apps fully in the background without having to pause them could be a standout feature for the platform. However, most of what RIM is doing with its new OS are things that Apple and Google have already accomplished with iOS and Android, simply in a new packaging. Android and iOS offer hundreds of thousands of mobile apps, giving customers hundreds of different ways to use their devices. Developers are eager to support the platforms due to the number of users each has, but they will likely shy away from BlackBerry 10 until the OS builds a larger customer base. RIM was eager to show off the new look of BlackBerry 10, and with good reason. It offers a fresh take on some classic smartphone features and is the biggest leap the operating system has ever taken. But the company's failure to aggressively recruit developers and give them incentive to support the platform will ultimately be its undoing. RIM has promised developers $10,000 for apps for the BlackBerry platform, but that may not be enough compared to the potential audience and profits rival systems offer. The BlackBerry 10 platform will launch later this year, but it may end up being the best platform no one is using because of its dire app situation. |
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Research in Motion is pinning its hopes for a rebound on its BlackBerry 10 platform, but no matter how good the system is, it may be too late to save the troubled Canadian company.
RIM touted BlackBerry 10 at its "World" conference in Orlando, Fla., but the software still remains under development. The company did, however, give initial software tools to developers looking to create for the platform, moving a step closer to its launch, expected later this year. CEO Thorsten Heins gave an enthusiastic keynote address at the conference, but even releasing the development tools didn't appease investors and analysts. RIM's market shares dropped by more than 5 percent after Heins' address, instead of rising on the news. The company's Alpha Dev device prototype, which has no physical keyboard, will help developers test how their creations will perform on the new platform. Company officials were quick to point out the BlackBerry 10 will differ greatly from the Alpha Dev, but many analysts said the prototype device looks like a smaller RIM PlayBook. BlackBerry 10 is reportedly a vast improvement over RIM's current system, but unless developers create apps for it, the Canadian company will have pinned its hopes on yet another failure -- and this one may finally put the smartphone pioneer out of business. RIM, which at one time had topped the highly-competitive smartphone market, has fallen far behind Apple and Android, despite being favored by government and enterprise users for its security capabilities. While RIM rested on its laurels and waited too long to release updated devices, Apple and Android passed it by with their increasingly more advanced touchscreen phones. However, RIM is returning to the basics that built the company. After Heins took the CEO reins from co-CEOs Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis in late January, he said the company will revert to its core focus on enterprise to keep BlackBerry alive, due in part to its well-known security systems popular in business markets. However, BlackBerry 10 -- which may determine if RIM remains alive -- is still on the planning table, and won't come out before this fall, at the earliest. This will give Samsung's newest Galaxy line, set to come out this summer, even more time to snatch away BlackBerry users. It also puts the BlackBerry 10 out just in time to compete with the next iPhone, due to come out this fall as well. No matter how many features the BlackBerry 10 has, it will likely pale in comparison with the iPhone's features and the thousands of apps it will have available. In addition, if the public doesn't embrace the BlackBerry 10, RIM can't attract developers to build apps, which, of course, means people won't buy the new device. However, a recent survey said only about 16 percent of developers are interested in writing apps for BlackBerry, compared with 90 percent for Apple and 80 percent for Android. RIM is dangling a $10,000 lure for developers to write apps for BlackBerry 10, according to allthingsd.com, but a top app on the more popular platforms could bring developers far more than that in the long run. Some developers could be attracted by more than money. RIM's head of developer relations Alec Saunders said developers "building for BlackBerry 10 will be able to easily create the kind of cutting-edge apps that deliver truly engaging experiences." For example, the tools RIM distributed included native code coverwork, the Cascades user interface framework and HTML5, Reuters reports. Cascades will help developers create graphically rich work, and the native code will give developers access to the device's core features, like the camera. RIM plans to add more tools in coming months and announced the developed apps will also run on the PlayBook, once owners upgrade the tablets with the new OS. Meanwhile, Heins admitted BlackBerry 10 is taking some time to come out, but RIM is "taking our time to make sure we get this right." The time and attention devoted to perfection may well backfire, however, if the BlackBerry 10 once again trails the new iPhone and Android phones and doesn't come out in time -- or have the features and apps it needs -- to attract at least some users away from RIM's far-more-powerful competitors. |
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After failing to regain market share, Research in Motion is bringing on banks to help it find a new business strategy. Here's what the future holds. |
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 Tags: Apple, Editorials & Opinion, In Brief, Legal, Microsoft, Patents, RIM, Sony Ericsson, Android, DoJ, Nortel, Rockstar Bidco
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12 March 2012 |
The Justice Department approved the $4.5 billion purchase of over 4,000 Nortel patents to major Android rivals like Apple and RIM, guaranteeing no end in sight to the legal battles entangling the mobile industry. In Brief boils down complex events to give you the heart of the matter -- today and what it means for tomorrow -- clearly and simply. What's Happening: The DoJ's review of the record-setting patent purchase of 4,000 patents, previously owned by the now-bankrupt Nortel Networks, expired without comment by the regulator. Rockstar Consortium, a partnership between Apple, Microsoft, Sony, Ericsson and RIM that won the portfolio at auction, is now free to use its purchases. The Nortel intellectual properties -- covering technologies in wireless, wireless 4G, data networking, among other technologies -- went up for sale last year as a prized commodity in an industry increasingly embroiled in a web of patent litigation. The DoJ's official go-ahead clears the way for the Rockstar Consortium to use the patents freely. What's Really Happening: The Nortel patents were purchased by an unusual partnership between Apple, RIM, Microsoft and Sony. These partners are generally rivals in the marketplace, but most are all Android rivals, now armed with a warchest of intellectual property. What's Next: The DoJ's green light will likely lead the way to a new rash of lawsuits targeting Google's mobile OS, continuing a growing wave of patent litigation against Google and its Android phone maker rivals. The Nortel IP covers some key areas in technology, particularly in wireless 4G. With the DoJ approval, Apple et al. could begin implement many of the Nortel patents in new features and software, but will likely also begin filing more infringement suits against Android phone makers, to either force sales bans or open up negotiations for settlements and licensing. The rash of patent lawsuits against Android is poised to escalate, and the Android rivals could become even more aggressive in their legal strategy to hobble Google. However, Google has boosted its patent game, acquiring Motorola Mobility earlier this year and giving the search giant its own strong portfolio of patents. Google can likely draw on its own patents to create software and Android capabilities free of patent infringement, or begin to file its own suits against rivals. The Takeaway: In an industry where the competition between device makers is fought in courtrooms as well as the market, the DoJ's approval of Rockstar's purchase officially arms a group of Android rivals with a formidable weapon. Most of the patent battles have led to few definitive victories, but even one settlement can have lasting, concrete consequences -- Microsoft, for instance, collects a sizable portion of profits on HTC Android phones for its use of its patents. The Nortel patents, especially those covering key technologies like 4G, may lead to more of these licensing settlements in the future. At this juncture, the focus on patent suits is beginning to shift from outright infringement accusations to questions over fair use of industry standards software. By covering key pieces of technology crucial to the mobile industry, the Nortel patents may get caught up in this debate. However Apple and company chooses to wield their patents, one thing is clear: the importance of patents in the mobile industry will continue to grow, and those armed with the strongest portfolios will likely wield the most influence as the patent battles evolve. |
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Research in Motion lost valuable BlackBerry customers in the last few months, pointing to the company's struggle for relevance. RIM took a hit when two U.S. government departments with thousands of users, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, dropped BlackBerry in favor of iPhones, underlining Apple's increasing role in business and RIM's failure to suitably adapt to the changing mobile market. Government contractor and oil titan Halliburton also ditched BlackBerry in favor of Android and iPhones. In response to defections from RIM's products, carriers are looking to slash service fees, unwilling to pay to carry an increasingly unpopular brand. Analysts suggested RIM's struggles are likely to progress, and urged investors to sell stock. BlackBerry's woes stem from its inability to respond and change according to the market. RIM's new CEO, Thornsten Heins, is working on a number of rebound strategies, but none solve the underlying problem: BlackBerry's technology is outmoded. Without substantial changes to its core products, RIM is unlikely to see a successful resurgence. The company is staking its comeback on the BlackBerry 10, but delays pushed the phone's release to sometime in late 2012. Without BlackBerry 10, RIM is unlikely to rebound, as a next-generation OS and upgraded products are necessary to revive the brand. Even if the handset lives up to its hype, the delayed release date could cause customers to lose interest. RIM is attempting to adjust to changing consumer expectations, but its strategies have not gained much traction. The Ontario-based company tried to attract Android app developers by giving out freebie tablets, in a move to build up its own app market. However, BlackBerry's App World lacks many popular app selections available on iPhones, Androids, and Kindles, hurting its chances with consumers looking for app stalwarts like Instagram or Words With Friends. RIM's most recent problems highlight the company's ongoing problems and point to a need for substantial changes. Heins insists RIM is on the right track, but continued businesses losses show otherwise. A comeback for BlackBerry will hinge on the company's upcoming product offerings, so RIM will likely continue to lose clients without promising releases on the horizon. |
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Tech companies agreed to stronger privacy policies for mobile apps, as scrutiny ramps up among lawmakers and consumer advocates about how apps handle personal information. Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Hewlett-Packard and Research in Motion entered into the agreement with the California Office of the Attorney General. Going forward, these firms must require developers to include clear privacy policies in apps, and inform users before they download or purchase an app about what data it will access, use or share, California Attorney General Kamal Harris said in a news conference yesterday. In the wake of news that several apps, including Path and Twitter, upload and store address books and other personal information without users' knowledge or consent, the agreement holds technology companies and app store owners to a higher standard of transparency and disclosure regarding app activity. Companies that run app stores, such as Apple and Google, will need to display privacy policies in a prominent place and set up a way for users to report apps that don't provide a clear privacy explanation prior to download. And, if technology companies fail to hold their developers to these tightened regulations, they risk violating California online privacy laws. The new rules hold the biggest potential implications for Apple and Google, because their app stores are the largest and most widely used. Apple has strict rules on its curated apps and does not allow software in its App Store that takes user information without asking first. However, after an iOS application called Path was found to collect user address book data and store it on remote servers without prior permission, it became clear not all Apple's developers follow the rules. The new regulations will require Apple to curate apps in terms of privacy as well as safety. Google prides itself on offering an Android marketplace that is open to all app developers, even though the open-source nature of the Android OS and its app store led to malware infections and privacy issues in the past. Google must now require developers to adhere to strict, clear privacy policies in order to offer their apps to Android users, adding a new layer of scrutiny to a fairly open app marketplace. Privacy inquiries are also reaching the national level. Congress is investigating Apple about how its apps store user data, and questions whether its closed-door screening process prevents disclosure about how it apps use consumer data, as well as other vulnerabilities. App development races ahead, as users turn to apps for a range of mobile activities in increasing numbers. More scrutiny by lawmakers and consumer advocates could force tech companies to slow the pace, strengthen app standards and fully disclose how they use personal information. |
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Research In Motion said its BlackBerry App World is thriving, aiming to lure developers as the struggling company bets on app selection to help fuel its turnaround. At RIM's DevCon Europe event, head of developer relations Alec Saunders sang the praises of the company's app market, saying apps purchased through BlackBerry App World generate more revenue than the Android market and result in higher salaries for developers. Touting apps is one way RIM is trying to improve its fortunes after a tough year riddled with setbacks. Faced with plummeting sales and market share, as well as a lack of new hardware and extended delays for its upcoming BlackBerry 10 operating system, RIM is betting on apps to help revive its beleaguered brand. But the Ontario, Canada-based company lags far behind rival app stores with a total of only 60,000 apps -- less than a quarter of the 400,000 apps available in the Android market. To have a fighting chance at improving the BlackBerry App World, RIM needs to bolster its offerings, and the first step is to lure top developers with the ability to create the apps consumers want. Even with far fewer apps, the BlackBerry App World is far from obsolete. Saunders points out that nearly 6 million apps are downloaded from BlackBerry's App World each day, and BlackBerry apps produce 40 percent more revenue than their Android counterpart. He also reports a larger percentage of BlackBerry app developers -- 13 percent -- make more than $100,000 per year off their creations. Higher profits and salaries may prove attractive to developers, but Saunders' portrait isn't entirely forthcoming. Consumers flock to the giant, open-source Android market largely because it offers millions of free apps. Developers don't make high profits from free apps, but they do gain exposure to billions of users on a daily basis. BlackBerry offers a higher percentage of paid apps, hence the higher per-app profit margin, but doesn't draw as many consumers to its app store in the first place. Further, developers who create the most-downloaded homegrown apps and games among Apple and Android wide user base stand to gain industry credibility and become highly coveted for their skills. Start-up Rovio, which created the "Angry Birds" franchise now worth billions, generates sky-high profits from merchandise sales and advertisers. Device sales also propel app downloads, as is the case with Instagram, which soared to success along with Apple's iPhone 4S. RIM's next BlackBerry model isn't expected until the latter half of 2012, a potential drawback for developers who want exposure. Still, RIM is banking on new developers to beef up its selection, and the company is pulling out all the stops to woo them. The DevCon app market promotion follows RIM's announcement last week that it will give Android developers free BlackBerry PlayBooks if they reformat their apps for the BlackBerry App World. RIM is finally taking serious action to rescue the BlackBerry brand, and building a strong app market may help achieve that goal. |
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Research In Motion is offering free BlackBerry PlayBooks to Android developers, as the struggling company tries to boost apps for its stumbling platform. The PlayBook, which debuted to underwhelming response last spring, failed to compete with stronger competitors like Apple's iPad 2. RIM's device lagged behind in several key ways including speed and graphics, but limited app offerings are perhaps its most notable disadvantage. Consumers cite app variety as a top reason when choosing mobile devices, and tablets like the iPad 2 and Amazon's Kindle Fire directly connect to stores containing millions of apps, games, movies and music. By comparison, BlackBerry's App World store offers an estimated 30,000 apps, and lacks many of the popular selections users want. RIM aims to fix that with the BlackBerry PlayBook 2.0 update, launching later this month. The update gives users the ability to use Android apps compiled for RIM's platform, but the company must first lure developers to reformat their popular apps for the BlackBerry market. To tempt them, RIM will give a free PlayBook to any developer who converts their app to a BlackBerry-friendly version by February 13. The move is risky, but could pay off for RIM. The app market reached an estimated $4 billion in 2011, and as it continues to surge, smaller app stores belonging to BlackBerry and Microsoft are clamoring to keep up with giants like Apple and Google. RIM will lose revenue by giving away the PlayBook, but if the free hardware motivates developers to bring their creations to BlackBerry App World, it could rebuild excitement about the PlayBook among app creators, who could also welcome another source of revenue for their work. More apps mean more users, and increased traffic could give RIM a much-needed boost as it tries to salvage its brand and turn its fortunes around. RIM is betting big on apps to revive BlackBerry, and sweetening the deal with free tablets for Android developers is an investment that has a big potential payoff. Still, RIM's competitors are far ahead in the app market, and while the Canadian company's latest move is a step in the right direction, it might arrive too late to save the PlayBook. |
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RIM's BlackBerry London offers "significant changes," including a new design and OS 10, as the struggling company bets big to regain its former luster. A leaked photo of the sleek BlackBerry London, at CrackBerry.com, offers a glimpse at one of the first devices that would run RIM's new BlackBerry 10 OS. It's slated to hit shelves in the U.K. later this year, with similar Laguna and Lisbon models in development for U.S. carriers. RIM is facing a steep climb back to its former perch in the mobile market users at a time when Apple and Google's Android devices are dominating the smartphone market. But the London offer clues into how the company will shift to compete. The full touchscreen device features rounded corners and a slim, all-black casing, mimicking popular smartphone designs like the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy and putting a premium on design. Appearing like a smaller, phone-version of the PlayBook, the recently leaked photo reflects updates from the London version previewed at the end of 2011. After reported delays in BlackBerry 10 implementation and launch dates, the London's new style could be proof of RIM's latest attempt to stay relevant -- offering BlackBerry devices that look nothing like what has come before. The new look could be a response to past criticism RIM wasn't able to innovate and diversify its products. The London follows faulty attempts to get touch devices off the ground, like hardware issues that cancelled the Milan. However, the London reveals RIM is intent on keeping promises that game-changing Blackberry 10 devices are coming. In likely attempts to differentiate, RIM is calling its BlackBerry 10 devices "superphones." Rumors of the phone's specs seem to support the moniker. BlackBerry 10 is a spinoff of QNX software that runs on the PlayBook tablets. The device is likely supported by speedy chipsets, with TI OMAP5 and Qualcomm processors reportedly being tested. Release dates suggest this next generation of BlackBerry phones will face competition from the next iPhone, and ever-evolving Android devices, the same type of options that lured away former BlackBerry users. The consensus of analysts is that the earliest these devices could hit the market is September 2012, a major lag in the fast-moving mobile market. Parallel to new device stylings, the latest word from BlackBerry officials, including new CEO Thorsten Heins, is that the company is making "significant changes." With the London, and BlackBerry 10, RIM is promising a "dramatic shift in UI experience." If these early glimpses are any indication, RIM may surprise with its superphones, but that might not come soon enough to keep RIM from lagging in the marketplace. |
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New Research in Motion CEO Thorsten Heins promises "significant changes" for the company, but its struggles in the market likely need an overhaul beyond what the CEO hints for the future. Heins acknowledged RIM's struggles in the U.S. market, noting "We lost market share in this market quite substantially. That is something that we have to address." He rejected radical shakeups like selling the company or rushing new products, but Heins pledged to focus his energy on deals with carriers and possible licensing opportunities for RIM's new OS. "In the first 100 days, that is what you're going to see me focus on," Heins promised. "My first job is to get BlackBerry 7 into all of your hands." Heins discussed a plan to launch an upgrade package with U.S. carriers so customers using older models could get a Blackberry 7, and talked about bundling packages pre-loaded with apps to increase demand for the product. Heins also spoke of plans to promote the company's forthcoming PlayBook 2.0 tablet. RIM is offering PlayBook at discount prices in hopes of recouping losses, and sparking interest in the PlayBook's OS. The PlayBook's tablet software integrates some of the features expected to come with the Blackberry 10 OS, so the device previews what the smartphone's OS will look like. He said that several companies expressed interest in licensing the new OS, which could lead to increased revenue for the company and increased popularity of the software, two solid advances for RIM. However, BlackBerry's struggles stem from its lack of innovation, especially as competitors continually introduce app-friendly platforms. Heins' plans for the company are not likely to involve a new product soon, as RIM confirmed the Blackberry 10's delay. The lack of new models undercuts the company's quest to redefine itself. Without a new smartphone or products that stand out from the competition, RIM can only do so much to entice buyers. Heins' "significant changes" could keep the company afloat until it introduces the Blackberry 10, but future success hinges on the marketability of new products. The Blackberry 10's repeated delays, rumored to relate to OS problems, continue to stall the company's turnaround, despite the company's proclamations of a comeback just around the corner. Moreover, the OS-problem rumors cast additional doubt on Heins' claim that companies want to license the product. Heins is wise to promise significant change, but the innovation required to revive RIM needs action beyond a marketing push for pre-existing products and a tenuous claim to licensing interest. If Blackberry resurfaces in U.S. markets, it will likely happen after a larger shakeup than what Heins has laid out thus far. |
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