Canada’s long-time technology standard bearer, RIM -aka BlackBerry- , is fighting for survival amidst dismal sales and waning consumer interest. With the release of BlackBerry 10 and the accompanying new hardware now pushed back to early 2013 — a full year later than it was originally promised — things don’t look good.
With an uneasy board feeling the ever-increasing heat (surely at Robot Devil levels now) from investors, RIM is now feeling the pressure to consider all possible options to right the ship. On that list: getting into bed with Microsoft.
The relationship could take a number of forms, of course. There’s no doubt that Microsoft would love to acquire a good chunk of RIM’s patent portfolio. Doing so would further protect Windows Phone and give Microsoft additional ammunition in its ongoing licensing “skirmishes” with Android OEMs. Another option would be a Nokia-style collaboration. RIM’s board is reportedly not too keen on giving up the amount of control they’d be required to if Microsoft were to buy a stake in the company and kick in for R&D and marketing expenses.
And don’t forget about Windows Phone 8. RIM could stop developing their own mobile OS, thereby allowing more time and effort to be devoted to higher-margin enterprise products and services.
Would that really be a good idea, though? With an uncertain future and no new OS for at least six months, it’s hard to imagine that competing against HTC and Samsung with Windows Phone 8 would really be any harder than competing with them using an OS that most of the western world has already lost interest in.
