Following yesterday's Business Update by RIM's CEO Thorsten Heins, I figured we'd better follow up fast with a CrackBerry Podcast to sound off on all the news. It sure is a weird and challenging time in BlackBerry history. Honestly, I'm soooo excited for BlackBerry 10 and what it promises to deliver, yet at the same time we're dealing with RIM being in a tougher spot than we're used to seeing as far as business operations go. The next few months leading up to the launch of BlackBerry 10 are going to be interesting to say the least, as things will likely be even more challenging for the company until the new generation products hit the market.
Joining me on this show are Adam, Bla1ze and Umi. I knew me and Umi would be talking lots on this one so we let Craig have a show off - I wanted him to save his voice for the next one where we'll deep dive into Mobile Fusion and take an enterprise look at BlackBerry following BlackBerry World.
Disclaimer: The podcasts gods hated the color of my t-shirt today, so decided to punish us with choppy video on only my video feed. Not sure what's up with that, but try not to let it bug you too much. It's still a show worth watching. Enjoy it!
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CrackBerry Podcast 086: RIM CEO provides update about BlackBerry business; Kevin keeps his shirt on and drinks Campari
Just added it back in for you.[img]http://www.keyforex.info/g.gif[/img]
I RIM has so much excess inventory then it's time for a sale. Make BB7 devices available for a price that sells and yields a bit of profit. For those like me that want to switch back to BB when BB10 comes out why not sneak a few developer devices out for sale. If I have email, calendaring and basic messaging I would love to try one. I currently switch between Android and Windows Phone but if I add in BB that makes switching difficult. Otherwise I would have a 9810 or 9900.
As a BlackBerry user from 1998 I sincerely hope that RIM is able to come back from the dark place they seem to be heading right now.
Craig Johnston wrote a very thought out piece over at Groovypost http://www.groovypost.com/commentary/thoughts-on-rim-blackberry-world-2012/ and it is definitely worth a read.
Cheers, Isaac
Thorston, empower your employees to deliver value to customers, fear not, the rest will take care of themselves, easier said than done no doubt when you are faced with irresponsible media reporting layoffs that shakes the very foundatiion of employee empowerment.
Your balance sheet deficit is not so much on cashflow but rather on perceived value of remaining goodwill with your customers and the public in general terms. Blackberry faithful should expect no less from RIM than conjuring up extraordinary PR magic to even this massive deficit. The recent myth buster series is a great start but we need you to do much much more.
This site is more and more turning into some kind of religious sect. We have the worshipable objects in the forms of BB 9900, the Playbook etc. on the altar. The teacher , guru or headpriest is Kevin, preaching the glories of Blackberry and RIM to his dedicated disciples, the regular readers of Crackberry.com!
BB10 is the Messiah coming to bless everybody and give them peace ond happiness but at the same time also to slay the demons in the form of iPhone and Android.
" All glories to Blackberry" !
I just had to comment on the gesture/swiping issue that I have been hearing over and over - how hard BB will be if you don't know what to do. My 5 year old can work my wifes iPod better then her again he is 5! I picked up the Playbook in store and instinctively swiped easily to figure stuff out. Now I use the iPod but would rather have my PB any day of the week - I'm talking about the gestures here. It's not as big a hurdle as people are making it out to be as long as RIM puts some good ads together to market - correctly market BB10.
Looks like this will take RIM 4-6 (September-November) months to get done, complete, test and launch to user's? They are drastically sinking right now, do you think they will still be above water then?
At the rate that RIM is being bashed in recent news, i am not sure if there is going to be a BB10 Launch date. I will say it AGAIN, RIM needs to put the pedal to the metal or this damn race is done. If you don't get Samsunged, you are going to get Nortelled. My contract is now due for renewal and i am on deck, SERIOUSLY thinking, dive, dive, dive. What the hell to do, I HATE GAMBLING, the poor alsways loose and the rich win.
IMHO RIM is having a hard time BUT they are NOT dead by any means. I think what will turn the tide is a VERY sexy looking phone and great advertising.
If I were RIM I would hire Frog Design, who has designed many of the apple products and have them design the sexiest product out there.
I would also get a great tag line. In the old days there was a commercial for JIF Peanut Butter, that went something like "Choosy Mothers Choose JIF" and it was a smashing success.
They need to do something similar.
Believe it or not the product does not need to be perfect, look at the iPhone.. When people buy they usually buy on emotion and then rationalize why they need it. If they can get that emotional hook I think they will be in a very good place.
just my 2 cents
-j
Is it just me or is the stereo audio horrible on the video? I'm hearing about 99% through the right channel and 1% through the left.
It was fine with the mp3, but youtube fucked over the audio on the video unbalancing it towards the right. Setting your media player to mono should correct that. Only if you disable the flash plugin and enable the HTML5 beta. That fixes it for me. And yeah, I use VLC player.
I heard you mention that RIMM should offer enterprises with free upgrades to stay on BES etc. That is exactly what we just got from Sprint. Free upgrades to any BB7 device, and you're talking 1000's of devices...
The climate is here: http://alturl.com/cyphi
Why not improve their marketing now on the OS7 devises and PlayBook with the business improvements that were supposed to be there at launch. Lock in the business community with an upgrade path and Pricing structure that fits the user base. I'd still like my playbook to sync fully with my 9850.......why is this not possible? What were the strengths of the BB phone and brand? Who is the new FACE of the BB product? Why not have marketing tell the story through a character who grows up using all or key models showing the features that lead up to the release of BB10. Along the the PB gets introduced showing how it interfaces with the phone and so on....tell the story..give the brand a face....show the strengths....create the climate for change.....create the climate for need......
I'm rooting for BB10. But until then, I'll be enjoying my Vibrant. October is a long time in tech time. I hope one day, I can come back home.
Campari? Seriously. I've never tasted horse p*ss but I'm guessing Campari tastes just like it. We threw out a 1 litre bottle in Sorrento last year after one drink each! :)
Why are they not preselling these i would buy 4 now and wait for latter?
It's tough to watch them go through and continue to go such a rough ride, but as long as they can reach the BB10 launch, i think with hard work give or take 3 years we will be back on top.
September 2012 i will be Pre-ordering mines :D
Funny RIM meme > http://qkme.me/3pik3u
RIM Memes are reaching mainstream lol
Where can I find the RSS for the video feed to add to my Playbook podcasts?
@Kevin Michaluk
Remember the old "this is not your father's Oldsmobile." commercials?
If it's too late to market as "the new Blackberry", maybe they can market along the lines of "Do you think you know everything about Blackberry?- well, we've got something to show you!"
Apple does not have the market cornered on "NEW", from what I've read, I don't subscribe to Apple's model, 'new' was really just "modified" and expensive. RIM can take a run at what "NEW" really means and what we, the consumer are going to get with the eye dropping NEW BB10! Oh and it's more than just the phone, it's the experience, the integration and there are Apps that "Do"! Down play the phone, yell about the experience, preen about "getting it done", then let it entertain me!
Start the message NOW! Without rest or doubt or waivering, start now. Entice, excite and execute, stop apologizing and start to battle back, start now. Brush away the old, use it or whatever, build it up in reverse of how it crumbled pick something appear strong, confident and just get started!
Kevin, keep your head, did this podcast help the cause?
Life without BlackBerry is a defeat to all who desire true choice, security and freedom from the users who prey on consumers! This tool must survive.
Yeah seems to have worked well for oldsmobile. The german car companies didn't take over atall.
OLD-MOBILE
Those "This isn't your Father's Oldsmobile" did nothing except alienate the fans they did have. Right--it WASN'T your father's Oldsmobile--it was a total piece of crap.
Oldsmobile was also ended as a brand, so...no, not at all a good model to follow.
Better to expand the lines they've already drawn. "We are awesome for people who get things done, and we are now doing it even better.
Your Tagline isn't bad actually, but it is IDIOTIC (my opinion) to insult your own history. Instead, celebrate it.
We were first in X, Y, Z, Innovators in A, B, C and now we're doing it again with P, Q, R.
REMIND people of why Blackberry is awesome.
@KAM1138
LOL- As I rethink this a little from your angle, I couldn't agree more! My first pass at the thought brought me that "Oldsmobile" memory, and I was rushing to keep pace with the podcast as I listened to it, failing to admit to myself that I would never have bought an Oldsmobile (even if I had been old enough to drive!) based on that advertising line. Actually, it sucked, and so did Oldsmobiles by that time too. Agreed, not a good model, and it comes with an apologetic undercurrent as well. RIM has nothing to apologize for.
Your "We were first in X, Y, Z, Innovators in A, B, C and now we're doing it again with P, Q, R........" line is highly appropriate and would acknowledge the true achievements made by RIM that people tend to forget about.
So again- damn right- you don't ignore or insult your history as a company. You EMBRACE it- you make it your SIGNATURE, your DNA.
@Bla1ze
"I think heavy promotion along the lines of "hey guys", we're still here!" is gonna be needed before and after BB10 releases.
Agreed! 110%.
Is there not a MP3 download link as per previous podcasts or am I not seeing it on mobile?
My bad. Just added it back in for you.
Thanks! Just wanted to download it on the go.
i got a long drive tonight, i was hoping this would be up to listen to on the way. Glad the team was so speedy to post :D Plus im also SUPER EXCITED FOR bb10 lets rock and roll this !
wOOt wOOt!
Yeah, me too. Stoked for BB10. RIM better get through these next few months and get it to market... I neeedz me my BB10.