RIM Rivals Line Up To Fill Void If Blackberry Service Shuts Down

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11530880/">http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11530880/</a><br /><br /><i>"If Research In Motion Ltd. is ordered by a federal court to close its wireless e-mail service as a result of its patent battle with NTP, its competitors could have a chance to win business from BlackBerry fans."</i><br /><br />Palm is positioning itself to the main benefactor, where it is not just touting the Treo, but the Windows Mobile version of the Treo. I was traveling this week and must have seen about 20 airport posters either by Palm or Verizon and every single one of them had the Treo 700w in it and most heralded it as the first Treo that gives you true Microsoft Office compatibility.<br /><br />Personally I am still skeptical that the Blackberry service will actually be shut down, but if it does, it will be interesting to watch RIM roll out their alternative plan and all of their competitors beat down the doors of IT departments trying to sell their wares.

[Clinton Fitch]

Actually heard about the new ad campain a couple of weeks ago in a Mobius webcast.

Microsoft for the first time is seriously advertising the WM platform. From the presentation we were given, they have 3 or 4 ads that you will see.

Personally I'm glad to see WM ads and not just device ads.

[Birdman]

If WM5 actually gets rolled out (and supported by Rogers, for example) and provides true push email, like the BB, I would dump my BB and re-embrace the Windows platform once again. I am still waiting.

[Mr. PPC]

If MS wanted to go after Blackberry clients they should have made sure their solution was available. The truth is, their is no MS 'push' solution available.

Companies would have already been looking at replacement solutions. Since their is no MS solution, they will look elseware (Goodlink, Pylon etc. etc.). Microsoft missed a golden opportunity in the 'push' market.

[DaleReeck]

I actually use a PPC 6700 and Sprint's Business Connect for push email. It works surprisingly adequately.

[Mr. PPC]

We use Pylon from Sybase and it works great as well.

[wshwe]

Trouble with Goodlink and Pylon is the additional cost on top of Exchange Server. For now I'm using Chatter Email on my Treo 600.

[Stik]

Palm is positioning itself to the main benefactor, where it is not just touting the Treo, but the Windows Mobile version of the Treo. I was traveling this week and must have seen about 20 airport posters either by Palm or Verizon and every single one of them had the Treo 700w in it and most heralded it as the first Treo that gives you true Microsoft Office compatibility

I see commercials on TV, I hear ad's on the radio...

I find it incredibly ironic that Verizon and PALM, yes PALM for criminy sakes, are doing something that HP, Dell and the other Windows Mobile device makers have ' nevar ' :twak: done ( imo ) a good job of....

MARKETING!!! :roll: