Matt Baxter-Reynolds
Promising
or
Unlikely
Matthew Miller
Best Argument: Unlikely
Audience Favored: Promising (65%)
The moderater has delivered his final verdict.
Opening Statements
BlackBerry still fits many customers
What do you buy if you're a mobile executive that needs hours of talk time, days of standby, and the best mobile email and scheduling system on the market? You buy BlackBerry. It was true a decade ago, and it's still true now. Although the market moved on, leaving RIM (as it was) for dust, BlackBerry remains close to a certain type of enterprise customer. There are still plenty of organizations out there that are not executing a shift away from the BlackBerry proposition.BlackBerry 10 doesn't throw the enterprise baby out with the bathwater. The mobile email and scheduling is best in the market, taking what BlackBerry knows about that type of software and just adding a New World Smartphone sheen. Talk time is better than the old BlackBerry handsets -- more double in some case, and talk time is important to this sort of customer.
And BlackBerry Balance is a unique product in the market, allowing the user to control how much they share (important in a post-PC device that's about hyper-social, always-connected lifestyles), and how much the organization does or doesn't leak.
BlackBerry 10 in the enterprise has legs -- which is a good thing in a mobile platform.
New BlackBerry: Close but no cigar
I was at the BB10 launch event in New York this week and now I'm testing out a BlackBerry Z10 device. BlackBerry is definitely fresh, but the big question is whether or not there's something compelling enough to excite, retain, bring back, or recruit new enterprise customers. Over the past couple of years we have seen large companies and government agencies leave RIM, now BlackBerry, for iOS. Unfortunately, I can't see anything obvious at this time that shows me BlackBerry is ready to revitalize enterprise interest.BlackBerry has been known for security and it is important for them to show that the new BES not keeps that but improves the IT experience. The BlackBerry Balance functionality is interesting and may appeal to both the enterprise customer and consumers who may no longer have to carry around a work BlackBerry and an iPhone. Businesses also need to know the company they sign on with is in it for the long haul and Apple is showing that is the case with a focus on profits and quality products. The company BlackBerry's future is still a bit uncertain and a lot is riding on the success of BB 10. Companies may be taking a wait and see approach until later in 2013.
Talkback
welcome back
Great features tech-pundits are not mentioning about the new Blackberry 10
Welcome back, Blackberry. It will be great to have a thoughtful, professional, non-intrusive tech partner again.
JL
The BlackBerry App World has always been ...
Read the Vodafone reviews
Maybe - TWO years ago!
For end-users, the good news about BlackBerry 10 is that it works with ActiveSync. No more extra data fees. For BlackBerry (formerly RIM), the bad news about BlackBerry 10 is that it does not require BES to be fully functional!
The result:
Regardless of the success of the BlackBerry 10 handset, BlackBerry is likely to lose most of its BES licensees since ActiveSync is "just as good as" BES 10.
In 2004, there was no competition for RIM. In 2013, BlackBerry faces competition on every corner - almost all of those competitive devices work with Exchange ActiveSync.
It seems to me that, while BlackBerry (the company) is "doing the right thing" - it is too little too late. In 2011, they still had a chance. Today, I'm not so sure.
Half truths
The other side of this is not every company wille expose EAS as it has security concerns and doesn't provide a fraction of what a MDM solution will. I think what's really occuring is companies are replacing BES or doing a plus one model alongside BES to better manage mobile devices. This is why solutions like Good Technology are seeing records growth as they can provide a corporate "container" on a host of device that seperate corporate data and personal. There are a slew of other MDM provides as well, most offering similar functionality as their sync protocol is EAS based. Good however works almost exactly like BES (NOC, PUSH, Extra data plan etc) so go figure.
The offset of this is BYOD is not as appealing to the employee now because companies are getting more formal around personal device usage and management. It was great to have an iPhone that wasn't as restricted as a traditional Blackberry but now with MDM controls you can almost equal that. This makes an employee question how much do they compromise for this "perk". This BYOD costs being pushed onto the employee many are choosing to accept the corporate provided option or just not bother.
After using BB10 and BES 10 for a month now, outside of consumer based Apps there is NOTHING one can say Blackberry cannot provide in a business justfication. The hardware is comparable, the screen is beautiful, the browser is fast and key enterprise Apps are already supported.
iOS 6.1 or BB 10
I'm for unlikely.
Why?
Look at the qualities of each OS. The security that you only get with BlackBerry (FIPS certification), for instance. Ask yourself if you want to do banking on a phone that is any less secure than you have to.
Then look at the User Experience. The apps selection can only get better as developers see that it has been accepted by the buying public and they can make money there too.
End users don't always make the most sound choice
Any phone can deliver email and most don't know, let alone care about certifications as long as the company approves the device for use.
They will most likely choose what appears to be the cool new hotness or has their favorite apps.