To print: Click here or Select File and then Print from your browser's menu

This story was printed from silicon.com, located at http://www.silicon.com/

Story URL: http://hardware.silicon.com/pdas/0,39024643,39168995,00.htm

BlackBerry maker not fazed by newbies
Google will be a "hippo in a room of big elephants"...

By Gemma Simpson

Published: Thursday 01 November 2007

BlackBerry maker RIM will keep its focus on the enterprise space, despite its more consumer offerings.

Company co-CEO Jim Balsillie said that while RIM isn't moving away from the enterprise it needs "to focus on B2C [business-to-consumer] to get B2B devices in the market".

RIM has made a couple of moves into the consumer space - including allowing users to use Facebook on a BlackBerry and the launch of its Pearl handset last year, which is a sleeker, lighter device aimed more at the consumer market.

But RIM will continue to learn lessons from the consumer space, with the Apple iPhone giving the BlackBerry makers food for thought according to Balsillie, who said: "Apple has made it clear that music is an appliance [and] that is a direction we want to go in."

Balsillie said Apple has been "disruptive and different" by effectively making carriers bid for their product - and reversing the traditional relationship between a carrier and service provider.

Since the US launch of the iPhone, BlackBerry sales have continued to grow, he added.

RIM remains bullish about its chances against other competitors trying to enter the market and is not losing sleep over Windows Mobile and Google's long-rumoured Gphone, according to Balsillie.

He said, Windows Mobile is a "very modest force" in the industry and Symbian is making more of an impact within the market.

Balsillie added that it remains to be seen whether Google will be successful with a GPhone product. The internet giant will be like a "hippo in a room of big elephants" as there will be many more and different competitors for it to deal with in the wireless space, he added.