18°c A few clouds
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Skepticism about ex-RIM's future lingers
It's finally come out with a redesigned, reimagined device, changed the name of the company from the awkward Research In Motion to just plain BlackBerry and signed up an iconic star in Alicia Keys to market that product.
But will that be enough for BlackBerry to reach its former heights of success?
Related Items
Technology and industry analysts have become so used to being disappointed by the company that was once the dominant player in the mobile smartphone market -- a market the BlackBerry invented -- many are already saying its new device and new operating system may be too little, too late.
The stock price fell close to 12 per cent on the very day of the global unveiling, not the most heartening sign for the company.
There are probably few who will say the new BlackBerry Z10 or Q10 are not upgrades to the previous iteration, but will that get people to buy in?
As the one who's trying to play catch-up, it behooves BlackBerry to do something extraordinary.
Maybe it's too soon for anyone but the tech experts to judge that, but the punters may not be impressed enough to switch.
Kyle Romaniuk, a branding expert and the vice-president of corporate initiatives for ClarkHuot in Winnipeg, said, "Since BlackBerry had the smaller market share you would typically expect them to challenge the status quo. As the smaller player, they should be more agile, take more risks."
But that's not the impression Romaniuk has of the new BlackBerrys.
"It looks like they have launched a new product and put everything they possibly could into it. But it looks like their benchmark was the products that exist in the market today," he said. "You'd think they would have pushed past what was already there. But basically, they are just on par with everybody else."
Some say the fact the Waterloo, Ont.,-based company is still around is a sign it has a chance to survive.
Peter George, CEO of Winnipeg-based McKim Cringan George, believes the iconic Canadian company still has a chance to succeed even though its trajectory has been one of the most unusual in the history of the tech sector after being so far ahead of the competitors and then finding itself trailing the pack so quickly.
"Does it have a chance? I think it does," George said. "The company has always been flush with cash. It's always believed in itself and has been relatively successful for a while."
And it's not like it has abandoned its customers or markets. A recent report in Business Week noted its continuing strong market share in Indonesia and other Asian markets.
"They have stuck to their knitting, so to speak," George said. "They have not freaked out and sold the business or overreacted."
He said there is a school of thought that says if you delay the launch of a new product for as long as BlackBerry did, it means the company either really doesn't know what it's doing or it's supremely confident that what it's coming out with will be successful.
George said the dramatic fall from grace speaks to the massive rate of change that has become a regular feature of the market today, especially in the technology sector.
As such, Romaniuk said for BlackBerry to win over the doubters, it needs to show it is a change merchant.
"The expectations are a lot higher in the market now," he said. "At least they are at the table now. But I think people would like to see something new every quarter that is pushing it further. They have to go beyond being just good enough."
Then there is the national-pride side of things.
Canadians have had precious little to root for the in the tech sector since the demise of Nortel. So there is some sort of goodwill factor that exists for BlackBerry, at least in the Canadian market.
"What the next couple of weeks holds, nobody knows," said George. "I hope it is successful. It is a great Canadian business story and I hope they can keep it going."
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 31, 2013 B4
Fact Check
Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.
More Business
- Back to Top
- Return to Business
More Business
(1 of 36 articles for today)
Consumers buy new, cheaper cameras instead of fixing existing ones
7:07 AM 0
About Martin Cash
Martin Cash joined the Free Press in 1987 as the paper’s business columnist.
He has spent two decades chronicling the city’s business affairs.
Martin won a citation of merit from the National Newspaper Awards in 2001 for his coverage of the strike and subsequent multi-million-dollar union settlement at the Versatile tractor plant. He has also received honours and awards for his work on agriculture and technology development in Manitoba.
Martin has written a coffee-table book about the commercial and industrial make-up of the city, called Winnipeg: A Prairie Portrait.
Martin Cash on Twitter: @martycash
martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca
Poll
Most Popular Business
- Shark Club opens in citiplace
- McMunn & Yates absorbs five McDiarmid locations
- Daycare-subsidy rules bad for business
- Magellan signs MOU to produce F-35 tails
- Consumers buy new, cheaper cameras instead of fixing existing ones
- Carriers turned off by Canada's wireless law
- Local business incubator gets new name
- U.S. hedge fund increases its ownership stake in Tim Hortons to 5.5%
- Mountain Equipment Co-op unveils new logo, name to appeal to urban customers
- Price of oil rises near $99 as traders await comments by US central bank chief Ben Bernanke
- Sobeys expanding reach in Western Canada with Safeway acquisition
- McMunn & Yates absorbs five McDiarmid locations
- Shark Club opens in citiplace
- Aircraft maintenance engineer taking off
- Two CBC reporters freed after being detained in Turkey
- St. Vital Centre's energy savings help managers snag BOMA awards
- Toronto condo market poses economic risk to Canada
- Daycare-subsidy rules bad for business
- New owner for lumber stores
- Canadian credit unions an eye-opener
- New owner for lumber stores
- Earls Pembina says goodbye after 18 years
- Sobeys expanding reach in Western Canada with Safeway acquisition
- Grove Pub to take over former home of Papa George's
- New rules let customers cancel phone contracts without penalty after two years
- McMunn & Yates absorbs five McDiarmid locations
- MTS to sell Allstream to Egyptian investment group, focus on Manitoba market
- Where is easy street? Survey of city's richest routes may surprise
- Shark Club opens in citiplace
- Custom-made suits no longer just for the ultra-wealthy
- McMunn & Yates absorbs five McDiarmid locations
- Consumers buy new, cheaper cameras instead of fixing existing ones
- Daycare-subsidy rules bad for business
- Study: Wiser medication use could save US $213 billion a year in avoidable health care costs
- Knights riding in with cash to spend
- Transcona transformation
- Target exceeds sales goal at Canadian stores
- The $2-million question
- Accounting merger adds and subtracts
- Newfoundland and Labrador premier talks up new offshore rules before China trip
- Sobeys expanding reach in Western Canada with Safeway acquisition
- McMunn & Yates absorbs five McDiarmid locations
- Toronto condo market poses economic risk to Canada
- Cutting edge, made-in-Manitoba tech finds buyer -- in Manitoba
- Google unveils Internet beaming balloons launched into stratosphere
- Warren Buffett -- Winnipeg-style
- Accounting merger adds and subtracts
- St. Vital Centre's energy savings help managers snag BOMA awards
- Daycare-subsidy rules bad for business
- Consumers buy new, cheaper cameras instead of fixing existing ones
- New owner for lumber stores
- Snowbirds: It's that time of year again
- Sobeys expanding reach in Western Canada with Safeway acquisition
- Custom-made suits no longer just for the ultra-wealthy
- New rules let customers cancel phone contracts without penalty after two years
- Where is easy street? Survey of city's richest routes may surprise
- Value Partners cracks $1-B mark in assets
- MTS to sell Allstream to Egyptian investment group, focus on Manitoba market
- Manitoba Movers
- Grove Pub to take over former home of Papa George's
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is be a Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscriber to join the conversation and give your feedback.
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is be a Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscriber to join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
Have Your Say
Comments are open to Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscribers only. why?
Login SubscribeHave Your Say
Comments are open to Winnipeg Free Press Subscribers only. why?
SubscribeThe Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.