...told the crowd that if he were running RIM, he would "go to the 43rd floor and find a window." He went on to say the most likely outcome for RIM is a sale. A Telstra spokesperson told Canadian Business that Bradlow "immediately apologized unreservedly" for his remarks, but the damage was done. RIM has fallen so far that not even its carrier partners can resist making jokes at its expense. And RIM keeps giving its detractors more fodder. On June 28, the company announced an incredibly bleak set of earnings, including its first quarterly loss in more than seven years. BlackBerry shipments plunged 41% from the year before. Nearly one-third of its workforce-5,000 employees-will be laid off. CEO Thorsten Heins delivered one more bombshell, too: BlackBerry 10, the operating system that will supposedly revive the company, will be delayed yet again, until early 2013. RlM has experienced an incredible and bewildering fall from grace. The company's share price provides the most visceral evidence: it peaked in 2008 at $149.90, and has since crashed by 95%, dropping to less than $8 at press time. There is no doubt that a series of poor decisions and missed opportunities led RIM to this point. Former co-CEOs Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie underestimated the significance of the iPhone when it debuted in...
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...CASE SYNOPSIS Business 478 Prepared by: Aswin Kumar Candice Woods Giorgio Budolig Lucas Segars Qasim Nathoo Prepared for: Jerry Sheppard March 20, 2013 Blackberry, Then And Now Research In Motion (RIM) entered the mobile communications industry in 1984. The Waterloo, Ontario, company founded by Mike Laziridis, penetrated the market with two-way paging technology; developed as a substitute product for Motorola’s SkyTel. Following a series of financing in 1998, and a Co-CEO partnership with Jim Balsillie, the firm launched its first signature Blackberry device in 1999. The year following, RIM released its first smart-phone, the Blackberry Bold. This release marked the beginning of RIM’s journey, through the tumultuous and extremely volatile high technology industry. Initially, the firm’s iconic Blackberry device was riding the crest of the telecom wave. Its proprietary and unparalleled encryption technology made their device the globally preferred Smartphone amongst corporate clients and government agencies. The brand dominance soon permeated the individual consumer market. However, the company’s fortunes took a turn for the worst, as intense rivalry and innovative technology emerged. Competitors, such as Apple and Samsung entered the market in 2007, and soon became cultural phenomena. As their market share severely eroded, so did RIM’s share price. RIM’s shareholders lost almost 80% of their wealth in 2011 (Levy, 2011). Adding salt to the wounds, ...
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...(September 23, 2013) its interest in acquiring Blackberry. The focus of this case is to understand the implications of this acquisition for both the parties. What strategic alternatives are considered by the Blackberry Management team, who knew the problems of the company? Why did they focus on a platform which was already a failure (like in case of Nokia), Why didn’t they consider Android in their phones which gave Samsung a chance to capture the market? Why did they give away BBM, their core competence to android and iOS? Or is it a BBM spinoff? Why did they miserable fail from 2010 till now in launching the devices which were only attractive to few consumers. Why did they not target mass market and instead engrossed to niche market. Why did they not publicize about the QNX 10 which is used in 60% of Automobile Technology now? Why does a company who operates in insurance and investment management want to acquire a communication technology company? What benefits does it seek? Is it simply patriotism or something else which the company is bothered? The case is a more or less compilation of the news articles and only few facts have been taken out of the company’s website and other sources. The events occurred during August and September of 2013 form a basis for this write up and any dates mentioned are relevant to that particular period. BLACKBERRY LIMITED: BLACK BURIED??? After months of conjecture the deal is done - BlackBerry is to be bought over by its highest bidder, a...
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...NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT On Apple’s New Product Development Strategy Posted on January 1st, 2010 by daniel Michael Malone from ABC News wrote an interesting article on Apple’s iPhone and its overall new product development strategy, with interesting strategic lessons for new product development and business in general. Google Nexus Offers Little Competition to Apple iPhone Why Google’s New Smartphone Won’t Knock Apple Off Its iPhone Throne COLUMN By MICHAEL S. MALONE, ABC News Jan. 1, 2010 Whether the marketplace is ready or not, the Big Guns in consumer electronics are about to make their move at the dawn of the New Year. Next Tuesday, Google is expected to announce its long-rumored Nexus One smartphone. It is undoubtedly designed to run the Google Android operating system for cellphones, which the search giant introduced more than a year ago. Android was envisioned as a major breakthrough in cellphones because it offered an "open" operating system i.e., one that other companies could use and design applications for. At the time, this strategy was compared to that of Microsoft Windows, which broke the market hegemony of Apple’s decidedly non-open OS in the mid-1980s and within a decade, turned Apple into a niche company. This time around, the new Android phones were supposed to break the hegemony of the Apple iPhone. So far, it hasn’t quite worked out that way with Android. A number of cell phone companies notably Motorola, HTC, and Samsung have adopted Android...
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...SMARTPHONE INDUSTRY IN 2013: SAMSUNG’S DILEMMA1 Mehdi Hossein-Nejad wrote this case under the supervision of Professor W. Glenn Rowe solely to provide material for class discussion. The authors do not intend to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a managerial situation. The authors may have disguised certain names and other identifying information to protect confidentiality. This publication may not be transmitted, photocopied, digitized or otherwise reproduced in any form or by any means without the permission of the copyright holder. Reproduction of this material is not covered under authorization by any reproduction rights organization. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, contact Ivey Publishing, Ivey Business School, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada, N6G 0N1; (t) 519.661.3208; (e) cases@ivey.ca; www.iveycases.com. Copyright © 2014, Richard Ivey School of Business Foundation Version: 2014-06-18 In April 2014, Samsung released its new high-tech flagship phone, the Galaxy S5. The new Android phone came after another successful year for the company. After becoming the leading global mobile phone manufacturer in 2012, 2 Samsung had maintained that lead in 2013 and sold more phones than rivals such as Nokia and Apple. Samsung was also a major player in the increasingly popular tablet computer market. The success of the Galaxy S3 and S4 had created a lot of expectations for the S5 device, but both Samsung and industry...
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...14 BlackBerry: The Long Journey of Missteps, Failure, and Change For Better. The self-reflective analysis of BlackBerry Limited’s change management Written by: Josephine Carolina Andjaya (3169628) Tutorial: A2 ; Tutor name: Dr. Huong Ha Executive Summary (Abstract) Nowadays, dynamism and complexity of company’s surrounding environments have pushed the company to change. To survive, companies started to compare, analyze gaps between current company position and desired state, and search for ‘best change practices’ to solve the puzzle. In the name of old glory and freedom from financial crisis, the tangled-clueless BlackBerry Limited has gone through critical situation since 2011 until deciding to kick-out Thorsten Heins and replaced him with John Chen as their new CEO in November 2013 to act as change agent transforming the company. With expertise, suitable leadership style, creative mind and teamwork, in less than a year, John Chen has proven satisfying outcomes and closed to “profitable state” that invite global citizens’ curiosity. This report highlights the 3 changes John Chen has done such as: leadership change, change in business structure, and change in business strategies, compared to ex-CEO Thorsten Heins’ change management; Overcoming the resistance of changes which is the pessimistic organization culture is also one of Chen’s achievement. The Action Research Model becomes platform of change application stages (institutionalization), changes must be preceded by...
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...7 Economic 7 Social 7 Technological 7 Environmental 8 Legal 8 Three Future Trends 9 Scenario 1: Shift from Hardware to Software Focus 9 Scenario 2: Cloud Computing 12 Scenario 3: Developing markets 14 INTERNAL ANALYSIS 15 Resource-Based View Analysis 15 Tangible Resources 15 Intangible resources 17 Value Chain Analysis 18 Primary 18 Secondary 20 Core Competencies Assessment 21 SWOT Analysis 23 GENERIC STRATEGIES 24 DISCUSSION & ANALYSIS 25 Where are they heading? 25 Where would they like to be? 25 How do they get there? 26 RECOMMENDATIONS 27 APPENDIX 28 REFERENCES 33 INTRODUCTION Company Background BlackBerry Limited, previously known as Research In Motion Limited is a wireless telecommunication equipment manufacturer, well known for its brand of smartphones and tablets of the same name. Originally founded in 1984 by Mike Lazardis, the company was managed with a dual CEO structure where Mr. Lazardis oversaw technical functions and partner Jim Balsillie oversaw sales/marketing. When stock prices began to falter, shareholder criticism of this leadership style caused both men stepped down for Thorsten Heins. He ran the company until November 2013, when he was replaced by John Chen, following the collapse of a deal with Fairfax to take the company private. Initially the company was a dominant and innovative force in the industry, leading the market for business and government usage. Unfortunately, in recent years the...
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... | |Day: | |Time: | |Room: | Table of Contents: Assessment Brief and Questions 3 Censorship: Gulf states put the squeeze on BlackBerry: UAE and Saudi Arabia cite security to justify ban Blackout on device will extend to visitors 5 BLACKBERRY LOOKS TO UNCERTAIN FUTURE 6 Students power BlackBerry growth 9 Evolution of the mobile 10 Google issues challenge to Apple with new mobile: Nexus One launched as latest rival to iPhone: Internet search giant looks for phone...
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...that. Some may think that it showed up with the appearance of mobile phones. I mean, we all remember the amazing event that debuted a device that was to change our lives, change our way of thinking and morph our interactions with the world. I am speaking of the iPhone here. It was, in a word from the late Steve Jobs, “revolutionary”. There was so much that could be done with a 3.7” device in the palm of your hand: Email, Internet and Social Media, just to name a few. I pose the question, what about before this became a “thing”? It is a fact that ten years ago, the Smartphone was in infancy, tablet computers as they are today did not exist, and most business was conducted in person or in ways that seem tedious today. The access to business information and applications through mobile devices has grown exponentially, and there is no sign that this will stop. Apple’s iPhone and iPad running iOS and smartphones running Google Android are dominating the mobile business market, due to their flexibility and ease-of-use (SwitchPay, 2014). However, just because it is simple and easy to use and implement doesn’t necessarily warrant its acceptance. There are several other countries abroad that have not adopted mobile tech as widely as the United States. Not because of the ability to do it or make it happen, but more so because of privacy concerns, culture clashing and government related issues. It seems as though the good old USA is only mildly concerned with the spoken and still...
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...information, the number of people using mobile phones has developed rapidly. People are more and more dependable on these small devices. It is clear that cell phone have benefited to every user in many sides of their lives. First of all, mobile phones, as a communication tool, connect people around the world. Many years ago, it was very difficult to contact with your friends, your partners immediately. Business man had to use their telephone in their office. When they went out, it was impossible to keep in touch with their business partners. That has led to the necessary to have mobile phone. Therefore, the mobility of owing a mobile phone has encouraged using this device. The number of people having mobile phone made a boom in last ten years. Another benefit of mobile phones is to help people in entertainment and supporting material for learning. These mobile phones have a lot of functions. Furthermore, smart phones have its own operating system such as Symbian, window mobile, android, or IOS. Users can set up applications to help us study such as dictionary. It is also an assistant for business people. These people schedule their works on this smart phones, it will remind them for that works. In some cases, with the GPS function, phone will guide you if you are in the new places. In conclusion, the mobile phone has brought convenience and comfort to the way people connect with others. It is easier for people to day to have contact with others. These advantage of will develop the mobile...
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...The ultimate smartphone smackdown of 2008 Smart phones get smarter, more personal By Keith Shaw , Network World , 11/03/2008 http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/110308-guide-mobility-smartphone-showdown.html?page=7 The skinny: Enterprises shouldn't automatically dismiss the iPhone for mobile workers just because it's made by Apple. The company has made an effort with the second-generation iPhone to get into the enterprise, with features such as Exchange support, remote wipe and VPN access. Whether enterprises will bite is up to the company and how stringent their policies are regarding mobile devices. For example, the camera can't be disabled; and enterprise applications either need to be custom-built through Apple's SDK, or purchased through third-party applications in the App Store. Companies that want to mobilize their existing Windows applications for use on the iPhone will find this more difficult than on other devices, where Windows Mobile integration with Windows is easier. The lack of a removable battery is a deal-killer with many mobile workers. Heavy usage on the road will require additional accessories, such as snap-on battery packs or charging cables. Despite these issues, the iPhone provides the best mobile user experience – the Safari browser best emulates a PC Web session, and the ability to access thousands of third-party applications can turn this into the ultimate mobile device for work and for personal use. RELATED STORIES • 3G iPhone at a glance...
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...BUSN 226-Marking Rubric-Assignment #1 Your Name:___________________________________ Your Student #_________________________________ |Rubric attached to front of assignment | /1 | |Cover page and introduction & typed page numbers |/5 | |Four summaries ( if article not different from other group members, summary will not be marked) |/40 | |Direct quote and in-text reference included in each |/8 | |summary , using proper format | | |Ref Works bibliography addressing all four articles, with works cited in alphabetical order by author |/8 | | | | |Original articles attached in same order as shown in bibliography (each article different from group members) |/8 | | | | |Late? ...
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...Task 2 Internal Audit I shall perform a marketing audit on Blackberry; this involves both an internal and external examination of the company. A marketing audit can be used to identify both the strengths and weaknesses of a business and how it is affecting their ability to meet their overall aims and objectives. An internal audit is broken down into 5 main categories, these include: Resources- The resources of a business can include their Technical resources, financial resource, their organisational structure as well as their managerial skills Research in Motion has created value for its customers through R&D for the last 10 years, and they have as a result used their R&D as a distinctive advantage. As an innovator in wireless email solutions in the late 90’s they were able to establish assets such as licenses and patents related to data security, wireless transmission of data, and what they are known best for; their push email service. By securing these licences and patents it has given Blackberry an edge in the market with the features it offers, and allowed them to establish a target market which was business people and professionals, before moving into the general market. The major stakeholders of the company are two of the founding members, who currently serve as Co-CEOs of the firm. RIM performs well financially on a consistent basis, with revenue figures reaching $4.2 billion in 2011, although this is down 15% from the previous quarter. In the USA RIM...
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...Submission: 13/11/2013 Revision: 05/01/2014 Accept: 10/01/2014 ABSTRACT The recent big tickets include Microsoft acquiring part of Nokia for US$ 7.2 billion, Verizon buy 45% stake in Vodafone for US$130 billion, Google acquiring Motorola for 12.5 billion. These buyouts are analyzed and commented by experts of the industry. This research paper attempted to collate their view in the context of Microsoft and Nokia deal on six parameters. These parameters are (i) reasons for the downfall of the Nokia market share, (ii) general comments of the experts, (iii) similarities / dissimilarities of past and business models of the smartphone business, (iv) reasons for Microsoft to buy out Nokia, (vi) impact of buyout on Microsoft, Nokia, consumers and markets. In addition, paper discusses the existing theories of merger & acquisition in telecom sector in the past. Keyword: Smartphone, Microsoft, Nokia, HERE Maps, Galaxy, Lumia, Synergy Trap Hypothesis. [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/] Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License 598 INDEPENDENT JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT & PRODUCTION (IJM&P) http://www.ijmp.jor.br 1. ISSN: 2236-269X...
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...selling half a billion phones each year, Google bought a company called Android and announced an Open Handset Alliance, a grouping of industry players who would come together to build an open source OS for smart phones. Nokia was invited to join but refused to demean itself. As a result, Nokia’s brand image is declining since 2008. In 2007, Nokia had a market capitalization of €110 billion; by May 2012 this had fallen to €14.8 billion. Nokia failed to build a marketplace that would have lured in users and application developers. But alike touch screens, it was not as if Nokia did not try. They tried multiple times and failed every time. Situation analysis The Nokia of today is a very different, much diminished company compared to the giant of the mid-2000s. If not a spent force, then certainly a much reduced one: smaller, less profitable, with fewer assets, and resources at its command — and dwindling cash reserves (net cash fell to €3.6 billion by the end of Nokia’s Q3 2012, down from €4.2 billion in its Q2). It doesn’t even own its own headquarters any more: earlier this month it agreed to...
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