TORONTO - Research in Motion's former chief operating officer Thorsten Heins took the helm of the troubled BlackBerry maker brimming with optimism on Monday.
But an instantly negative stock market reaction suggests he'll have to show some real progress and fast, as many wonder if RIM will ever be able to catch up with their competitors.
Marc Saltzman, a Toronto-based syndicated tech columnist says Heins' suggestion that drastic changes are not needed for the company is concerning.
Saltzman explains that when it comes to what BlackBerry does best, secure and reliable email service and instant messaging, they'll do just fine as they're leaders in the space. The challenge BlackBerry faces today is that it's virtually the same as it was years ago. Consumers and businesses are expecting more out of smartphones says Saltzman, and email service is just a part of that expectation.
"People want an all-in-one solution, a digital Swiss Army knife if you will," said Saltzman.
"Looking at what the iPhone and Android can do..they have cameras, intuitive web browsing devices, they're multimedia devices, they can play music and video, they're gaming devices and you can read e-books. Not everybody is going to take advantage of the features, but the BlackBerry has been an unchanged product for years," said Saltzman.
Saltzman also says another major disadvantage for RIM is that they've underestimated the significance of apps and what you can do to customize the smartphone experience.
"I think that Andorid and Apple has left them behind…RIM can't change the look and feel of the applications. What you see if what you get."
As for predicting the future of RIM?
Saltzman says this latest change may not be enough to get RIM to compete against others in a very fast moving and competitive market.
"My concern as a proud Canadian, who wants to see RIM do well, is that Mr. Heins suggested that from a product standpoint, there is nothing wrong with RIM other than a communications problem, especially in the U.S.," said Saltzman. "I think it goes well beyond that. From mismanagement to lack of innovation...they did not think ahead."
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