[samdskgs]

I've heard rumors, and I want to see everyone's thoughts....

If Apple bought RIM, what do you think would happen?

[njblackberry]

The Canadian Government would never allow it.

[taz323]

I've heard rumors, and I want to see everyone's thoughts....

If Apple bought RIM, what do you think would happen?

with all the mergers that could happen that is the least likely...

[Bold_until_Hybrid_Comes]

This isnt going to happen. Its not even a rumour in the mainstream.

[Bla1ze]

Ya, that won't happen.

[RubberChicken76]

One of the things about Apple is that they're a surprisingly small company relative to their revenue. While they have 72,000+ employees, well over half are in Apple Stores. Given all their product lines, it's actually pretty astonishing how lean their R&D is.

Not sure they'd comfortably take an org like RIM and why would they, except maybe for patents, some IP and an extra leg into some of the tougher enterprise accounts that they may or may not actually need.

I could see Samsung buying, Microsoft buying or Nokia merging before I could see Apple buying.

[Bobert_123]

Nope sorry, I cant see Apple even getting much use out of them...

[dbmalloy]

The Real question is why would they even want to? Different business models... completely different OS and platfform.... so unsure what Apple would get out of it... except a lot of expense to port everything over to their platform.... Even then being the large company they are... would probably screw it up....

[Bla1ze]

The Real question is why would they even want to? Different business models... completely different OS and platfform.... so unsure what Apple would get out of it... except a lot of expense to port everything over to their platform.... Even then being the large company they are... would probably screw it up....

Patents.

[AVPTI]

The Conservative Government has said it wouldn't block any buyout of RIM or bail them out

[theegoldenone]

If that ever happened, I think I would be phoneless........

[darkehawke]

apple dont like inventing things. rim would be too much of a drain for them.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9810 using Tapatalk

[Thunderbuck]

RIM is already past the worst of its crisis. Why would it let itself be bought?

Remember some of the major shareholders here: a couple of major investment funds, two of Canada's major banks, and the founders. The best share deal they'd be likely to get would be in the $25 range, and if BB10 succeeds the stock will be worth as much as $40 or more in a year. Why pass that up?

Bottom line: there's not enough shareholders who would be willing to sell for anyone to take control of RIM. Isn't going to happen.

[glamrlama]

You ask 2 questions. Yes Apple could buy RIM easily. I think they have over 100 BILLION dollars in cash in the bank. The market capitalization of RIM is about 7 Billion. Even at a ridiculously high premium say 10x Apple could easily pay. You need to ask yourself why would they buy RIM?

Your second question. Have a look at Apples acquisitions over the last ten years. Some small portion is typically added to the core OS or hardware functionality and the rest disappears.

[Thunderbuck]

The Canadian Government would never allow it.

I wouldn't say that. They just allowed the Chinese national oil company to buy a Canadian oil and gas firm for $15 bln. If they allowed that kind of takeover, why wouldn't they allow RIM to be sold?

The better question is: who'd want RIM? Their most valuable asset is their network, and while that's indeed very valuable, for many potential buyers they may not want to assume the liability (as in: look how badly RIM's reputation suffered with that NOC outage a year ago).

If another company were to get involved, I'd see it happening this way: a strategic partner who A) only takes a significant MINORITY stake (i.e. 30-40%, not an outright buyout) B) licenses BB10 and C) possibly convinces RIM to allow their own products access to NOC. Microsoft, HTC, and Samsung would strike me as the most likely partners in that scenario, and in that order.

Apple wouldn't even show up on the radar.

[silversun10]

The Canadian Government would never allow it.

you cannot say that, there would be a test of national security and a test for a net benefit to Canada, there are no set rules for any of it,
so it would become a political football, but a US company would have better odds than a Chinese state owned buyer...

[tack]

There is no motivation for them to buy RIM.

[JR A]

The Canadian Government would never allow it.

Beat me to it.

It'll never happen. That'd be like the American govt allowing the take-over of an American icon by a foreign country, like what happened to GM. Oh wait...


Canucks wouldn't lose their prized gem, they'd figure out something and their govt would stomp their foot.

[Bold_until_Hybrid_Comes]

The Conservative Government has said it wouldn't block any buyout of RIM or bail them out

Thank god I didn't vote liberal

[Dapper37]

The Conservative Government has said it wouldn't block any buyout of RIM or bail them out

Check your facts. This is wrong! They said they didn't feel RIM needed money. They don't. If you think for a second the Canadian Government would let RIM go in a hostile takeover your simply wrong!

[Dapper37]

Funny after RIM. Stock has doubled in the last two months this question arrived here again. Let's wait until it triples and see what happens.
Sorry folks nothing to see here.

[peter9477]

I've heard rumors, ..

LOL, sure you have, from real credible sources I imagine. ;-)

Let's put it this way: the RIM shareholders would never support it happening for a price anywhere closer to what the Apple shareholders would support paying. Case closed.

[RubberChicken76]

The better question is: who'd want RIM? Their most valuable asset is their network

Is it? I'm surprised, relative to some of the others ... patents, cash, property, 80 million users, IP etc.

[maam]

Apple can buy whatever they want eh, since they are one of the wealthiest company in the world. It's really up to the opposing company to sell eh, which in RIM case, no=p

[BergerKing]

Apple has been riding a long wave, but all waves eventually crash ashore. Tech works like that. Remember when Motorola was riding high on items like the RAZR? Apple has been down in the cellar before, and they have been getting very proud of themselves, lately, building on an institutionalized arrogance.

And we all know what pride goeth before...