∞ RIM is the Boston Red Sox of technology

I was reading an article this morning by industry analyst Ross Rubin about how RIM needs something with the impact of Apple’s voice assistant technology, Siri.

Of course, Ross is correct, RIM definitely needs a big win like Siri. However, it occurred to me as I read through the article that RIM needs so much more than just a major new feature.

In all fairness to Ross, he was only focused on how RIM needed something — anything — to spur the company and didn’t get into everything else that was wrong.

RIM is like the Boston Red Sox of technology products. They were on top of the world, but ended up being the laughing stock of an entire industry. Now, no matter how hard they try to make it back, things just keep getting worse.

I still firmly believe that the problems with RIM start with the co-CEOs. They are responsible for driving the company forward with new technologies, designs and ideas (or in this case, driving the company into the ground). Yet for years they let the company rest on its laurels and not continue to innovate.

By the time RIM did start to put out new products, it was so far behind the competition that even catching up was almost impossible.

RIM desperately needs a change to the very top of the company. This will instill some much needed confidence in the company and its future products.

It also needs to figure out how to end system outages like it had last week. Things like that just can’t happen with a company the size of RIM.

The last piece of the puzzle is new products. Get rid of the crap they are currently selling and design a new line of products that people actually want.

Part of this phase is also coming up with some must-have features like Apple’s Siri.

Apple has taken the smartphone market in an entirely different direction than what RIM helped create years ago. The problem for RIM is that Apple circled back and created features and security options that directly compete with the BlackBerry.

I’m not sure users have enough confidence in RIM at this point to believe that any new hardware or software will be much different than what they already have.

http://www.thecamelshump.org Justin

As a Red Sox fan…this analogy hurts. And yet…it’s so right. Thanks Jim. I was having a good day.

http://www.loopinsight.com Jim Dalrymple

I’m a Boston sports fan. It hurt me too.

http://gravitationalpull.net/wp/ ampressman

The Red Sox are going to be a heck of a lot better next year than RIM!
http://www.peelman.us peelman

I just went to an iPhone 4S for the reason you outlined: lack of confidence in the platform. I really love my Bold 9700, but I didn’t see any future in its successor the 9900. There is so much potential with Blackberry’s platform and audience, and given the right trigger, i’m not so sure I wouldn’t switch back. Nobody can hold a candle to RIM in the text entry/editing game. But they need a better platform, something they can develop an app ecosystem around. Java was just too slow and burdensome.

For any of that to happen, they need a decent base OS and a fresh set of great developer tools. If QNX is what makes those things happen, great. But I agree with Jim, they need a clear direction from the top down before they are going to make any headway at all.
Benjam

I am canadian but I just laugh everytime I see RIM in the news. Their phones are years behind, the outage, the abysmal app store, terrible direction, investing 100 mil to buy a cloud computing company a year or 2 to late and most of all the playbook. It’s like shooting yourself in the foot and then trying to shoot the original bullet out. (and further the metaphor sitting and watching your foot get gangrene then trying to shoot that off) RIM needs to design an awesome phone, os, AppStore, than give it away for free to get customers back.

http://www.loopinsight.com Jim Dalrymple

Nailed it.

http://twitter.com/Moeskido Moeskido

Cue the apologists.
Maxmz02

Yes, you are right, RIM need an awesome phone and OS, I design phones for 11 years, and work for RIM for more than 3 years, so I have closer look at it, and deep inderstanding of the RIM culture.

Strange culture in RIM, and self-destroy political environment.

In RIM if you figure out problem and introduce efficient approach, both manager and his buddy group member will proof their wrong approach works.
just like someone point out driving a car is right way, pushing a car is wrong way, then both manager and his buddy group member will hate you, and proof that 3 person can also move the car by pushing it. cheating email will be sent to some vice president, saying like: see, the car moving, pushing a car is a natural part of the process.

RIM is not system oriented company, just self-destruct small company buddy culture, with a fat body. it is very strange company culture and strange company political environment, RIM’s management may be a typical instance in MBA course.

CEO may want the management better, but can’t reach the target.

So not OS, not device, it is the culture, like I said 3 years ago, RIM is old before really grow up, it promote stealing and cheating skill.