BlackBerry is not dead

[rpm]

BlackBerry is not dead

Those 4.5m SA users (and another 74m globally) aren’t going to simply vanish

[hawker]

......yet.

[Sapphiron]

contract periods are only 24 months. Lets see what happens when the services stops working because RIM cant manage their decline gracefully. It can half to 2.2mil in 12 months and be near 0 in 24.

Vanishing might be the right word exactly.

Radical rethink of the systems architecture and company focus is the only thing that can save them.
1. get rid of BIS network as it is currently - replace with uncapped internet negotiated with local providers on client only devices
2. Adopt Windows phone 8 as operating system.
3. Focus on Corporate and SME markets where Microsoft's integration will lock in corporate users onto platform.
4. Redesign the BES architecture to ensure that BES phones connect directly to corporate BES server and not through RIM infrastructure.
5. Don't stop making hardware keyboard phones. Its a niece market that will save BB's from being swallowed up.
6. Start making quality phones again, like the bold 9000. All the stuff that followed were crap quality and unreliable.

[cbrunsdonza]

contract periods are only 24 months. Lets see what happens when the services stops working because RIM cant manage their decline gracefully. It can half to 2.2mil in 12 months and be near 0 in 24.

Your assuming South African BB users are all on contract. I would challenge your assumption as most BB users I know are all on prepaid. BIS appeals to lower income users especially with the newer packages.

One of the selling points for BB in SA is its an entire eco system like MXiT - if your not on it, you don't exists. Reason why I had to get a BB and one for wife and daughter. Oh, and my maids 15yr old son will also be getting a BB when I upgrade his contract in a few months time.

[koeksGHT]

A multi million $ company is not going to disappear over night...

[Frikkenator]

A multi million $ company is not going to disappear over night...

Agreed, but considering that they've been at it for 4 years now, it's not overnight

The BB Jam in CT has already happened, this article is a bit old. It wasn't really that exciting from what I hear. And I can guarantee you developers are not as excited about BB 10 as you want to think.

The reviews of what we know about the platform so far have been overwhelmingly positive.

Please do share your sources here, as this is not what I've seen in the reviews. Not by a loooooooong shot.

[Robertvv]

......yet.

+1

[Guantanamo]

Neither is MySpace, but it is about as dead as can be without being completely dead.

[antowan]

LOL! That is a very confident statement. Yes they can vanish. And they will... unless Blackberry adopts Android.

And a button keyboard on a phone is similar to using Internet Explorer 6 today. It is okay if you haven't been properly exposed to other alternatives. Touch rocks!

[Aqua_lung]

I recently used a blackberry and was not impressed. There was no appeal what so ever.

[cerebus]

BlackBerry is a zombie. They exist because 3rd world countries haven't caught up with 1st world ones yet; a glitch in the time-space continuum.

[Mike Smit]

What's a Blackberry?

[koeksGHT]

What's a Blackberry?

Think worse than dial up..

[BeVonk!]

Whatch how RIM stand up again. I believe there is still enough in that company to get enough market share to stay in the game. I would love to get one of the new Playbooks. High risk investors stand to make serious money.

[Dolby]

.. even if that is true and they make this killer handset with 8 cores, 12MP camera, best mobile screen and a 5 days battery - would you buy it with 100kbps BIS data?

The main limitation with BB is BIS in my eyes