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RIM focuses on one next-gen BlackBerry: Good or bad?

By | January 5, 2012, 9:44am PST

Summary: If RIM weren’t such a mess I’d applaud the move to focus on one device. Instead, RIM appears to be preparing for a Waterloo last stand.

Waiting for Research in Motion to produce the next-gen BlackBerry 10 device is starting to feel like the wait for that next Van Halen or Guns N Roses album—it just ain’t happening.

Word from BGR is that RIM is focusing on one phone to bring to market, the BlackBerry London. The BlackBerry Colt—initially designed to be the first BlackBerry 10 phone—has already been scratched.

If RIM weren’t such a mess I’d applaud the move to focus on one device. The problem is that RIM is having software trouble, design issues and marketing woes. And oh yeah the two CEOs at the RIM need to go.

In this case, focus just means that RIM is preparing for a Waterloo last stand that will make or break the company in 2012.

Welcome to the Jungle Waterloo.

More RIM:

Also: RIM’s Q4 outlook: BlackBerry shipment projections tank | RIM expected to cut BlackBerry sales targets | RIM CEOs respond about poor U.S. sales, BlackBerry 10 delay | CNET: Want a BlackBerry 10 phone? Don’t hold your breath

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Topics

Research In Motion Ltd., RIM BlackBerry, Mobile Security, Larry Dignan

Larry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and SmartPlanet as well as Editorial Director of ZDNet's sister site TechRepublic.

Disclosure

Larry Dignan

Larry Dignan has nothing to disclose. He doesn’t hold investments in the technology companies he covers.

Biography

Larry Dignan

Larry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and SmartPlanet as well as Editorial Director of ZDNet's sister site TechRepublic. He was most recently Executive Editor of News and Blogs at ZDNet. Prior to that he was executive news editor at eWeek and news editor at Baseline. He also served as the East Coast news editor and finance editor at CNET News.com. Larry has covered the technology and financial services industry since 1995, publishing articles in WallStreetWeek.com, Inter@ctive Week, The New York Times, and Financial Planning magazine. He's a graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism and the University of Delaware.

For daily updates, follow Larry on Twitter.

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Indeed!
richfitt 8th Jan
@TrajMag

Agreed, Traj and IT - I love my BB, and for every user on the fence, there are 50 who are unswervingly devoted. Why? because the product is awesome... period! And I have seen iPhone fanboys/girls drool at the Bold 9900. Shaddup already with the derision and get life media monkeys.
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You guys really need to dig into your archives and find the ZDNet blog
baggins_z Updated - 5th Jan
written when the iPhone was first released saying the RIM was now officially out of business; they just didn't know it yet.
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RE: RIM focuses on one next-gen BlackBerry: Good or bad?
Champ_Kind 5th Jan
@baggins_z iPhone fired the first shots across the bridge, and the Android Army smashed what was left into oblivion.
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RE: RIM focuses on one next-gen BlackBerry: Good or bad?
striker67 5th Jan
If they get it out early with good developer support who knows, but it would hurt sales of other blackberry phones.
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Aren't they still profitable?
x I'm tc 5th Jan
In that case, I'd say it's too soon to completely write them off.
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RE: RIM focuses on one next-gen BlackBerry: Good or bad?
red4182@... 5th Jan
"is starting to feel like the wait for that next Van Halen or Guns N Roses album???it just ain???t happening" If anything can happen it will happen. The Guns N Roses guys are talking again and Van Halen is going back on tour. What's next hell freezing over?
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RE: RIM focuses on one next-gen BlackBerry: Good or bad?
MSBassSinger 5th Jan
I may get flamed for this, but from a business and technology perspective, this works:

While supporting the existing devices and software for 2012, aim for a 2013 small set of devices that run on Windows 8. Quietly and discreetly partner with Microsoft now and take any BB applications and rewrite with Mono so the apps can be run on iOS, Android, Windows Phone 7 and Windows 8.

This gives Microsoft a stake in RIM's success, and a potential buyer for the company. It also avoids the issues with Android's legal issues and fragmentation issues. It also allows RIM to focus on customized smartphone and tablet platforms at a marketable price point.

By 2013, Windows 8 will be seen as the more attractive platform. Even now, Windows Phone 7 is more attractive and a better technology than Android or iOS, but Microsoft has failed to get that across to the targte audience. Let RIM do the marketing for their devices and software (something at which Microsoft sucks).

To do this, RIM needs to hire names (technology and marketing) that are not generally known, but are absolutely solid technologically with a entrepreneurialenueral mindset. And hire the advertising firm that makes the highly successful and memorable Budweiser commercials. I don't drink, but those folks know how to market!
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RE: RIM focuses on one next-gen BlackBerry: Good or bad?
radleym 5th Jan
It would be fast suicide for RIM to abandon its secure systems and infrastructure to jump on the android/windows consumer bandwagon.
Apple does quite well releasing a single model of its iphone.
If the market speculators will back off RIMs technology will prove out.
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RE: RIM focuses on one next-gen BlackBerry: Good or bad?
rhon@... 5th Jan
When a technology brand is in decline it seldom can be saved. Nokia is working on the "Next thing" for years and it will never come. Yahoo can no longer reinvent itself and Microsoft will be going downs the drain if Ballmer stays three more years as CEO. There are so many examples out there. You need a Steve Jobs to save the company. You do not have to feel sorry for the shareholders or customers you need to feel sorry for the employees that are trapped in a system in which their pensions are squandered in the American/Canadian system in which companies are allowed to invest their money in their own company.
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RE: RIM focuses on one next-gen BlackBerry: Good or bad?
yozzman 6th Jan
Well, Chinese Democracy was released after all...
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How can they focus when you don't let them breathe?
rsavage@... Updated - 6th Jan
There seems to be an hour by hour beating levelled on RIM by the media. How are they supposed to get their footing when they have to constantly fight you? Give them some air. Only the tech industry media expect every manufacturer to either be on top or run out of town.
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RE: RIM focuses on one next-gen BlackBerry: Good or bad?
ITOdeed 6th Jan
Well, being a business man and not a media freak, I love my BB. Don't know what all the fuss is about.
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AMEN
TrajMag 6th Jan
@ITOdeed

BBs are rock solid for what we do. Real Work. I have a Curve 3G and a Playbook and the combination will do everything businesses need to do. Highest quality HDW and solid SW.

Media nerds - Get off RIM's back.
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Indeed!
richfitt 8th Jan
@TrajMag

Agreed, Traj and IT - I love my BB, and for every user on the fence, there are 50 who are unswervingly devoted. Why? because the product is awesome... period! And I have seen iPhone fanboys/girls drool at the Bold 9900. Shaddup already with the derision and get life media monkeys.
0 Votes
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RE: RIM focuses on one next-gen BlackBerry: Good or bad?
RunSilent23 8th Jan
Good. Everyone will get the flagship device. Besides, that model worked for the iPhone, didn't it?

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