Is RIM Really Serious About Licensing BlackBerry 10?

**Masahiro** · 11-01-2012, 01:13 AM

This article was from about a week ago, but I think it will brew up a good debate on the merits of RIM licensing their OS.

Is RIM Really Serious About Licensing BlackBerry 10? - BerryReview

**berriac** · 11-01-2012, 01:50 AM

Licensing of BB10 could mean the end of QWERTY keyboard devices.

Sent from my  9900

**lengend** · 11-01-2012, 01:55 AM

Just cause they license it doesn't mean its just for smartphones. You do realize its a platform and could be used for anything other than smartphones.

**berriac** · 11-01-2012, 02:10 AM

Originally Posted by lengend

Just cause they license it doesn't mean its just for smartphones. You do realize its a platform and could be used for anything other than smartphones.

I was talking about the effect it could have on smart phones.

**Dapper37** · 11-01-2012, 04:56 AM

If it sells well out of the gate... NO wont happen in the phone market. If not its a good posability.

**SnoozerBold** · 11-01-2012, 06:27 AM

Originally Posted by berriac

Licensing of BB10 could mean the end of QWERTY keyboard devices.

Sent from my  9900

How so? Just because the license out BB10 doesn't mean that they'll stop making devices.

**cgk** · 11-01-2012, 07:28 AM

Wrong question - the right question is "would anyone be serious about licensing Blackberry 10 at the current time?" - the answer is likely no and will remain no until it is shown to be a competitive product.

**Tre Lawrence** · 11-01-2012, 07:32 AM

I wonder how much Android has affected potential licensing deals of other OSes by depressing their values.

**berriac** · 11-01-2012, 03:14 PM

Originally Posted by SnoozerBold

How so? Just because the license out BB10 doesn't mean that they'll stop making devices.

BB will license BB10 only if it is accepted by people but RIM is not able to sustain the hardware part of it. that is my call and i could be wrong

**Drew808** · 11-01-2012, 03:51 PM

I don't see any companies licensing BB10 when you have most of the major players who already offer Android and Windows options already. Also the only way other OEM's differentiate themselves on Android is to skin the UI like Motoblur, Touchwiz and HTC Sense. Would RIM let someone skin the UI and if not what incentive do they have to license it if it can't be somewhat different? Can you market a business conscious OS if you are consumer company?

**TheQ805** · 11-02-2012, 12:55 AM

I honestly only see BB10 being licensed to target the low end market. I'd imagine that IF it does happen, it would be the same manufacturers doing low-end android devices (huawei, zte, etc...)
If BB10 is successful, I imagine the idea of licensing will be swept under the rug.

**Masahiro** · 11-02-2012, 09:39 AM

Originally Posted by TheQ805

I honestly only see BB10 being licensed to target the low end market. I'd imagine that IF it does happen, it would be the same manufacturers doing low-end android devices (huawei, zte, etc...)
If BB10 is successful, I imagine the idea of licensing will be swept under the rug.

I could see that happening. The problem is, I suspect the lower-end models like the Curves are popular because of their keyboards. It goes hand-in-hand with the cheap unlimited bbm, instant messaging and e-mail plans that are popular in markets outside NA. RIM would then have to look into licensing their keyboards as well.

**kingbernie06511** · 11-02-2012, 10:31 AM

HTC is loosing money right now, and they have to change their business model. LIncensing bb10 would be perfect, bring capable hardware players to the field, mitigate risk, bring revenues. Remember, margins and profits are in the software business.

Now, would the phones be sold as HTC BB10, or would RIM buy those phones and sell them as RIM Blackberries BB10? THat is the question....

**digitalman101** · 11-02-2012, 11:35 AM

I think they are, just not sure if in smartphone arena. We will see integrated in cars with oem. Hopefully, also in computer oem (Toshiba, dell, ...)

**cgk** · 11-02-2012, 11:38 AM

We've had this argument before - who is crazy enough to sign a licensing agreement that limits them to the low-end (and lower-margins)? especially in a marketplace where nobody except Samsung and Apple are making money - yes, Samsung makes low-end phones but there is not where they are making the majority of their profits.

**Tre Lawrence** · 11-02-2012, 11:40 AM

Originally Posted by kingbernie06511

HTC is loosing money right now, and they have to change their business model. LIncensing bb10 would be perfect, bring capable hardware players to the field, mitigate risk, bring revenues. Remember, margins and profits are in the software business.

Now, would the phones be sold as HTC BB10, or would RIM buy those phones and sell them as RIM Blackberries BB10? THat is the question....

What will HTC do with BB10 that Android doesn't offer? I ask because I think HTC's wounds are self-inflicted. Not saying the idea is crazy (diversification is always good), but I am trying to see another point of view, and am making the theoretical assumption that HTC would prefer one over the other.

**BlackStormRising** · 11-02-2012, 07:55 PM

I think they are serious, but only as a secure mobile computing platform, not as a phone OS to handset competitors. It will be interesting to see what they have in mind for potential partners.

**lnichols** · 11-03-2012, 07:01 AM

I don't think they will license out for companies to make phones. Think auto companies infotainment, medical companies, SmartTV makers. Companies and industries that RIM isn't experts in.

**Rello** · 11-03-2012, 12:22 PM

Honestly I'm hoping they will do something like like what HP's Gram is supposedly doing with LG and license BB10 to put it in some fancy new televisions. If BB10 is really this connected future that they keep referring to, then I'd love to have my tv run BB10. Just a thought...

**Skeevecr** · 11-03-2012, 01:36 PM

Originally Posted by BlackStormRising

I think they are serious, but only as a secure mobile computing platform, not as a phone OS to handset competitors. It will be interesting to see what they have in mind for potential partners.

I think that they would also consider it for smartphones if things go well in that area, they could do a curve, a bold and an all-touch each year as their equivalent of a nexus models and it would serve as the standard level for each form factor and from there you could have other companies going for niche area such as a ruggedised model or the ultra high-end part of the market where the margins are higher, but the volumes are much lower than they are at the mainstream part of the high-end market.

**GTiLeo** · 11-03-2012, 01:39 PM

RIM is already in the licensing business, QNX is beign licensed. BB10 tablet software could be built into the infotainment systems in cars, it can also be built as a PC OS, i don't fully believe RIM wil license it to other mobile device manufactures, but has other plans in other markets for BB10

**lnichols** · 11-03-2012, 04:11 PM

Originally Posted by kingbernie06511

HTC is loosing money right now, and they have to change their business model. LIncensing bb10 would be perfect, bring capable hardware players to the field, mitigate risk, bring revenues. Remember, margins and profits are in the software business.

Now, would the phones be sold as HTC BB10, or would RIM buy those phones and sell them as RIM Blackberries BB10? THat is the question....

If you look at Kevin's Review of the HTC One X, I don't think I want HTC making my Blackberry phones. Looks like the hardware is sketchy. Beautiful screen, but horrible Bluetooth, speaker phone, etc. However I do agree that HTC is showing that Android does not equal profits, and it would have been a disaster for RIM to go that route and just be another Android OEM.

**dentynefire** · 11-03-2012, 05:48 PM

Originally Posted by GTiLeo

RIM is already in the licensing business, QNX is beign licensed. BB10 tablet software could be built into the infotainment systems in cars, it can also be built as a PC OS, i don't fully believe RIM wil license it to other mobile device manufactures, but has other plans in other markets for BB10

RIM still has enough resources to share the financial risk with a partners move to BB10. They also seem eager to help companies develop software for BB10 handsets so why not for M2M like in medical or others. If I were to guess this is exactly what they are doing but its all just a guess at this point. I just would be surprised if they didn't move in this direction since as you already said QNX has been in the licensing business for years.

**GoldenGod** · 11-03-2012, 05:52 PM

Originally Posted by cgk

Wrong question - the right question is "would anyone be serious about licensing Blackberry 10 at the current time?" - the answer is likely no and will remain no until it is shown to be a competitive product.

Samsung would. For a company that doesn't have its own smartphone OS, I think it would risk entering into a license agreement with RIM just so it could try it out.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9220 using Tapatalk

**cgk** · 11-03-2012, 06:12 PM

Originally Posted by GoldenGod

Samsung would. For a company that doesn't have its own smartphone OS, I think it would risk entering into a license agreement with RIM just so it could try it out.

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Why? At this point, Samsung is Android from a profits perspective, the simple unrevealed truth that both Samsung and Google both know is that we are at the stage where Samsung could simply fork Android and have it's OS - indeed, because of what is happening with Nexus, I suspect we will see just that within 12 months - if they were that interested in RIM, they would simple buy it.