How to Save Rim
I would like to start this with a disclaimer: I’m not an analyst, I’m not an executive. I’m just a geeky teen who wants to save RIM, and this is my idea. So be nice, and hear me out.
We all know RIM is heading toward failure. When believable rumors about you being bought out by Samsung start to surface, you know you aren’t doing well. But I like RIM. I really like RIM. They still have a hardcore fan-base, and make really beautiful hardware. So why are they failing, you might ask? Their software.
And I’m not talking about their apps. In fact, I think BBM is awesome, and their email client is second to none. No, I’m talking about their OS. Blackberry OS is terrible. So terrible that I feel pity whenever I watch a video comparing a Blackberry to any other mobile OS. So, if RIM fixes their OS problem, I see no reason why they couldn’t become a major player again.
Now, this creates a few possibilities. The first possibility is making Blackberry 10 (previously known as BBX), their upcoming OS based on QNX, freaking amazing. But, RIM has said that BB10 won’t be ready until late 2012, and honestly I doubt they have that much time. So this first option is too flawed to work.
So we now look at the second option, and my personal favorite: adopt Android.
Now, I’m not saying this as an Android fanboy, I’m saying this as a teen who took a business class (alright, not much better I’ll admit). Adopting Android is RIM’s best bet at not being destroyed. Blackberry has the hardware down, and they have awesome apps. What makes Blackberries undesirable is the OS, so just replace the OS with Android. There is a gap in Android phones with portrait keyboards, a gap that RIM would fill perfectly. Plus, the open source nature of Android means that RIM can develop their own flavor of Android to better compliment their unique form factor. The combination of a small touchscreen, keyboard, and a custom UI would be what RIM needs to become relevant again.
It would solve their performance issues with a truly advanced OS, it would fix their app problem with Android Market, and it would open up Blackberries to the dev community, a community that would no doubt take pride in developing for a brand many left to go to Android. The only problem with switching to Android would be the time needed to port their apps and develop a custom UI.
Call me crazy, but I think it could work. One thing is for certain, though; RIM cannot wait till late 2012 for BB10, and their current lineup is not enough to keep them afloat. They need a major change, and that change could (and should) be Android. It would take time, effort, and money, but it would be worth it in the end.
But what do you think? Are you still holding onto a Blackberry? Or have you switched from Blackberry to Android? Would running Android sway you back to the Blackberry side? We have a comments section bellow, I’d love to hear your answers.
best bet, blackberry, compliment, gap, possibilities, ui