RIM to Offer Platform to Other Vendors

[Ed Hansberry]

http://allnetdevices.com/wireless/news/2002/04/04/rim_to.html

"Research In Motion (RIM) Thursday announced that it has become the latest vendor of wireless devices to offer its technology as a platform on which other, potentially competing, vendors can build mobile devices."

Transitioning from a device company can be very painful, something Palm can attest to, and it still hasn't completely shown it to be successful. Microsoft never had to deal with the transition. They started out as software only from day one.

PCWorld also has an article here, and it offers RIM's solution to that transition problem. "Although Palm offers its OS to handheld and handset manufacturers, the difference, according to Balsillie, is that the Palm OS is a particular implementation and does not allow for the same level of product diversification. "Sun's Java is a specification, not an implementation. Every hardware is different. Sun is a spec and a policeman to make sure you adhere to that spec," Balsillie says."

Ok, there is the "Java, write once, run anywhere" miracle solution again. Lets see if RIM is any more successful than other Java proponents that never can seem to get out of neutral.

[Ed Hansberry]

http://allnetdevices.com/wireless/news/2002/04/04/rim_to.html

"Research In Motion (RIM) Thursday announced that it has become the latest vendor of wireless devices to offer its technology as a platform on which other, potentially competing, vendors can build mobile devices."

Transitioning from a device company can be very painful, something Palm can attest to, and it still hasn't completely shown it to be successful. Microsoft never had to deal with the transition. They started out as software only from day one.

PCWorld also has an article here, and it offers RIM's solution to that transition problem. "Although Palm offers its OS to handheld and handset manufacturers, the difference, according to Balsillie, is that the Palm OS is a particular implementation and does not allow for the same level of product diversification. "Sun's Java is a specification, not an implementation. Every hardware is different. Sun is a spec and a policeman to make sure you adhere to that spec," Balsillie says."

Ok, there is the "Java, write once, run anywhere" miracle solution again. Lets see if RIM is any more successful than other Java proponents that never can seem to get out of neutral.

[Andy Sjostrom]

No. Java is write once, debug everywhere! :wink:

[sobert]

What would be great is for them to offer a CF or PCMCIA interface that you could use in a laptop or Pocket PC. You already have everything except the radio interface. Then I could get rid of my pager and just carry the Pocket PC and I could get emal anywhere.

[Rob Borek]

RIM is still growing and expanding its manufacturing facilities. They've now taken over a number of buildings, and the closest one is now about half a kilometre away from where I live.

Will they succeed? Who knows. They are a very aggressive company though, with large amounts of spending in R&D.