Trouble Not Over For RIM?

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/06/technology/06rim.html?_r=1&amp;oref=slogin">http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/06/technology/06rim.html?_r=1&amp;oref=slogin</a><br /><br />Research In Motion just cleared a big hurdle in the road by settling with NTP for a huge wad of cash, but their troubles may not be over.<br /><br /><i>"The patent case was a whole bunch of noise," said Ellen Dailey, a Forrester Research analyst. "Right now, R.I.M. is in danger of relegating itself to becoming a niche e-mail player." David Schatsky of Jupiter Research echoed that view. "The lawsuit was an active threat to R.I.M.," he said. "But they now have to face other, long-term challenges. Microsoft appears determined to be a serious competitor in its markets."</i><br /><br />The Blackberry is a good, simple email device, which is exactly what some want. However, when it comes to attachments, web browsing, music, feature rich third party application, well, the Blackberry falls short. Of course, few want <i>all</i> of those things, but companies like Palm, and major carriers are betting their users want some of those things. Will RIM be able to take the zen of Blackberry to the next level and survive the onslaught by Microsoft, or will it go the way of another simple OS that kept crying "simple" while it quietly sank into oblivion?

[dave]

The Blackberry is a good, simple email device, which is exactly what some want. However, when it comes to attachments, web browsing, music, feature rich third party application, well, the Blackberry falls short.

have you used a Blackberry 8700? it certainly flunks the multimedia test, but it handles attachments and web browsing as well as any WM device i have ever used. since i got one, my samsung i730 hasn't left my desk drawer, except when i gave it to the first co-worker who inquired about it.

any vendor in this space is vulnerable, but RIM has a nicely fortified position, if for no other reason than security. i don't claim to understand all the moving parts, but i have to think the US government wouldn't be such a big customer if this wasn't nailed down.

Google needs to be watched here as well. they already have a pretty badass Local client for the berry... Talk should be public soon.

the last things RIM needs to be worried about are cameras and multimedia (though i'm not saying they won't pursue either or both for growth in the consumer segment) because the enterprise doesn't care about either. SIP-compliant VOIP should be where their energy is focused, in my opinion.