The last 24 months have been painful for Research In Motion (RIM). The tech powerhouse rode several tactical miscues that chipped away at its reputation and stock price. Once the undisputed king of the smartphone world, it seemingly was the last entity to respond to the iOS, and then Android came and further hacked into RIM’s marketshare. Relatively slow adoption of it’s Playbook tablet also hurt RIM in several ways.
In the eyes of a significant part of the buying public, RIM became a dartboard for criticism.
Much has been made of the reasons for RIM’s reversal of fortunes. The management team took a lot of heat, and rightfully so. But with a new sheriff in town (Thorsten Heins), with a new gun (QNX-based BB10 OS), RIM is unashamedly hunting some long-overdue success.
The key is the aforementioned BB10, RIM’s soon to be released OS. Rumor has it that RIM is even prepping an all-touch device as the first BB10 flagship, which would be a clear nod to the popularity of touchscreen handhelds.
I still say it is all about the ecosystem. I still believe that at launch, the Playbook was one of the handsomest devices out; the hardware literally made you whistle. I think the lack of ecosystem was its undoing, making the introductory cost unbearable for the average consumer. Now, it seems RIM may understand how much content really means to Mr Average Joe.
The Playbook situation highlights RIMs change of heart. When it was released last year, the device launched with some great hardware. But, for some reason, it hit store shelves without an email client, which some tech writers considered an unpardonably ironic misstep. And, unlike the Behemoth from Cupertino — you and I call it the “iPad” — the Playbook dropped with a relative dearth of third-party software or easily accessible content.
One thing the folks at Waterloo did have the foresight to do was to begin to figure out a way to get that content. Initially hamstrung by the perception that developer tools were not developer friendly, they created an Android Player. This makes a lot of sense, at least in the short run, and allows the Playbook (and, it is thought, future BB10 devices) to run properly packaged Android applications in a sandboxed environment. As a part of the recent OS 2.0 update (which also brought a native email client), it has been well received. While native apps would be preferred, beefing up App World with Android apps that can seamlessly run on a BB device sounded like a stroke of genius (yes, I know the reality may be a bit different, but still…).
RIM also seems to be aggressively courting developers. The company’s new chief of Developer Relations, Alec Saunders, is conspicuous in his willingness to connect with developers and “regular” consumers alike. In an effort to lure the cadre of Android developers, the company recently offered free Playbooks to those that submitted legally repackaged Android apk files. Now, if you are thinking that the Android Player is a risky investment, I won’t argue; it could be a perilous strategy to rely on the ecosystem of an indirect competitor. Still, when one looks at the mobile landscape and the lead Apple and Android manufacturers have, it is one risk RIM almost HAD to take.
There also seems to be a bit more proactive decision-making. Instead of wringing its hands, RIM is thinking outside the box. For example, it (RIM) apparently worked a licensing deal with mobile gaming giant Gameloft which allowed RIM to recreate popular titles. RIM went ahead and ported the games and provided them (for a price) to Playbook owners. Angry Birds came via Rovio. In-house projects like BlackBerry Travel are also much needed breaths of fresh air. Some BB users are getting a taste of RIM’s navigation beta software and reporting good things.
Beyond apps, it seems RIM is sowing seeds with their recent acquisitions, which include a UI development shop, an online video editor and mobile document handling trendsetter Dataviz. And of course, it also acquired the cornerstone of their future: QNX.
Mostly, RIM may need to understand that they need to learn how to make a compelling product with the content people want. They have to market said products and create positive mindshare. They need to be able to counter the growing BYOD movement by making devices people would, well, want to bring to work.
So, RIM may be down, but it doesn’t seem to want to cede its place in the mobile playground just yet. Consumers need RIM to succeed, but RIM may need it even more.
That isn’t always a good thing. Still, don’t count out RIM just yet.
[Image via VancityAllie & Official Blackberry Images]
Speak your mind...