[RyanGermann]

I don't think there's only "one thing".

But assume that BlackBerry has done what it needs to do to put the "BlackBerry is going out of business" rumours to rest, once and for all.

You have a lean company that has a lot of patents and (if I may say so myself) really good technology.

What is the "one thing" that will bring BlackBerry Back?

Choose from the poll but don't be shy to comment to make your case but to also acknowledge other poll options that are significant to you.

Personally, I think once the "death knell" stops, and corporations start looking at the technology seriously, we're going to start to see uptake in key industries, so for me, it's about BES and enterprise-centric "killer apps" (well, not apt for the strategically-important health care business, but you know what I mean) for industry that make BlackBerry devices the leaders again.

Once BES adoption increases and key mission-critical BB10 applications show up and really start to leverage what BB10 can do, BlackBerry devices may still be "niche" but they'll be taken seriously again, and I think we might even see some of the consumer app vendors come on board.

So for me, the most important thing (since it's in line with BlackBerry's stated enterprise-centric strategy) is killer business apps.

I gotta say that the device side has to be sorted out, but I don't think any device offering will make a huge difference until the ecosystem is fleshed out a bit more, and from my perspective, that starts with business apps, and the consumer apps MAY come later... maybe not for years, but if the business apps have found a good home on BlackBerry 10 and there are key advantages on the platform, that's the ticket.

If Android and iOS continue to chip away at whatever technological advantages BlackBerry has, it may not bear fruit, but that's how I see it, right now.

[anon(1852343)]

Good luck with your quest but I think if someone knew the answer, there wouldn't be all this negativity surrounding my favorite products

Q10 with Telus on 10.3.0.296

[RyanGermann]

Good luck with your quest but I think if someone knew the answer, there wouldn't be all this negativity surrounding my favorite products

That's just it... no one thing in the poll will solve the problems... but most people do have an opinion on what is the MOST important thing...

[alinet_Dev]

A new name & brand! ... so make some changes a culture of fun and awesomely built in a funny & productive blind to appeal to pop culture and media, I'm thinking of a sub BlackBerry division called cool berry or something and it focuses on main user market

have fun... keep trying... BlackBerry

[anon(8865116)]

Blackberry probably shouldn't stay named as blackberry if they're going the software route... sucks but Chen isn't going to change it anytime soon because it would be awkward and ridiculed by the media

Fix the app gap or provide something better. Maybe partner with Amazon so that they supply their app store and hopefully they'll return the favor by putting BBM on kindles and their new phones. I realize they'd be giving up their app store but I don't even know if it's worth saving anymore

Keep hiring driven people. If you ever want to get back into North America with enterprise or handsets you're really going to need to have sales people who will follow through on sales, especially considering Good and MobileIron are spreading fast. A lot of companies just want BYOD for mobile phones and the fact that BES12 isn't out yet is horrible.

Keep having companies publicly endorse Blackberry.. most don't because it's a huge favor to ask but anything helps.. big, very well respected companies

I don't know what to do with QNX. Honestly, it's cool that they are at the forefront of their market but it's going to be so hard to capitalize on just QNX. They have tons of brilliant people working in that division but nothing would stop apple or google from developing their own after a while if the cost doesn't stay cheap. Apple already is trying to do this by hiring the ex VP of Software from QNX. Blackberry is screwed too because they could totally sell it off now for a huge profit and have cash to invest in other operations. BUT blackberry runs on QNX so they'd get hosed too... sucks

To end, I think they really just need to recover their revenue and stabilize. I believe JC can do this but what will be step 2. The problem today is that Amazon, Google, Apple, and Samsung all have hundreds of billions of dollars... and if they want the industry, whichever it is, they'll invest in it and they'll crush the competition and fight among themselves at the top because they have tons of expendable income which blackberry does not. That's why I mentioned a partnership with Amazon or a bigger tech company is almost a must unless they can start generating lots of profit on their own. If they really want to do IOT, they're going to need money and fast.

[onlybuggin]

First let me preface my comments with, I love my blackberry.

What I see as a problem is much like owning a car that you built or an old Vw beetle. They are great........ if you love them. But part of that love may include a lot more tinkering than is required by other vehicles.

The issue is not the app gap or even functionality. The issue is seamlessness. While I love my BlackBerry I often find that it is not supported as a mobile platform by many websites and the like. And then loading the android option may requires additional work around to be functional as well. It is a great feature to have the option to run another os on this platform and should alleviate many shortcomings. But it doesn't . And just like the old beetle it requires some additional tinkering under the hood to make it run smoothly. End users no longer want this. (Do you remember manually editing your .bat files or config.sys files on the early pc's when you acquired new software?)

This is where the real breakdown is. BlackBerry needs to fix this. I should be able to directly install apps on my phone that will work without having to first side load a different app (more tinkering), or do conversions to the apps prior to installing to make them work. BBW should include android apps. The apps available for download should be vetted to work on my device with any limitations identified.

Fixing this, will close the perceived app gap and make the user experience seamless and with the need for tinkering. This would put BlackBerry in a position completely separate from the others with a whole host of native apps and complete access to a rivals apps. What could be better. As BlackBerry users show in numbers their use of companies' products, those companies can be encouraged to develop native apps to BlackBerry.

But then that brings up what someone else said in a different post. BlackBerry needs to sell more phones, period. Maybe a true low priced phone that is fully android centric to gain identity and units in the marketplace. When you are selling to a closed community (those who own your product), the only way to get bigger is to increase those in your community (sell more phones).



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[TioPepe78]

To get their "cool factor" back for the consumer market, the thing they need is good marketing, I guess all the other things they have been mostly covered, nice phones, nice OS, now with android capabilities they have apps, a lot of features and functionality, but there is no marketing to tell the story and I guess this is not the time to spend money in consumer market, not yet, if Chen's plans go as planned then maybe you will see some marketing out there next year.

[ljfong]

I actually like the option "A total disaster on competitor's platform". Android ate BlackBerry's market share so thoroughly due to total disaster on BlackBerry's platform in the past. Apple managed to survive Android onslaught although struggling in doing so. Still, Apple cannot afford to make mistake like BlackBerry did.

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

I actually like the option "A total disaster on competitor's platform". Android ate BlackBerry's market share so thoroughly due to total disaster on BlackBerry's platform in the past. Apple managed to survive Android onslaught although struggling in doing so. Still, Apple cannot afford to make mistake like BlackBerry did.

I agree, Apple and Android took over the smartphone market because BlackBerry ignored them and the trends they created. At this point it will take either one or both of them making the same mistake, which they don't seem to be inclined to do. Or for BlackBerry to somehow leap ahead with some new technology, which they don't seem to be capable of doing.

Or for some unknown virus to shutdown all iOS and Android devices leaving BlackBerry as the device in demand..... wouldn't give you odds on that happening.

BB10 is a powerful OS that would make a great mobile platform.... But just like Palm ran out of money, BlackBerry is doing the same.

If BlackBerry could have afforded to:

• Pay Developers to build Apps
• Pay for the most high end of components
• Pay for mass marketing
• Pay for carrier training, marketing and sales associate good will
• Pay for four times as many software engineers
• Pay for ten times as many testers
• Pay for subsiding the first generation of devices
• Pay for getting BES10 to work with BBOS devices
• Pay for getting optional BIS services on some low end devices for developing markets
• Pay for major trade-in allowance for BBOS7 to BB10
• Pay for development of Tablet sized devices

Money can do a lot of things in the right hands - BlackBerry never had the right hands or the money. It's possible the company will survive and that there will be some type of BlackBerry devices available.... for those with the money that can afford one.

[r0k]

I picked something else entirely. A disaster in a competitor's platform will only help the other major competitors. IE a disaster on either iOS or Android would help the other major ecosystem more than it would help BBOS or Windows Phone. As for stuff BB could do, it's really too late. We have a number of users walking around with BB devices skipping upgrade after upgrade because our company no longer provides BB phones and they want to keep their physical keyboards.

These days you get a choice between an Android touchscreen or a flip phone. Yep, that's it. If you want a physical keyboard, you gotta deal with T9. Remember T9? Let's see, I want to send a text: "Hello". Ok. 44 (to get an H), 33 (to get an E), 555 ( to get an L) then pause, then 555 to get another L, then 666 to get an O. Yikes!

Apple just announced some strong enterprise features in iOS8 so Apple is clearly going after BB's former core customers. There was a time when BB considered focusing on BES and getting out of phones. I suggest BB should focus on profit in a niche market rather than trying to grow market share. Apple is the 5th most valuable company on the Fortune 500, worth as much as Microsoft and Boeing combined, yet their market share in computing is niche and phones is shrinking. Market share alone isn't the key to profit. If BB can find a way to get its niche users to pay a premium for its BES and other services it can remain a player indefinitely.

They've taken a few steps by reducing workforce by folding former BB engineers into the profitable QNX division. Now they just need to avoid blowing large sums of money such as developing "diverse hardware" for what has become a niche market. No apps? No sweat. People aren't buying BBX for apps. Find out what they're buying for and figure out how to monetize it. That can keep BB around as a profitable niche player for years.

[JulesDB]

I'd like BlackBerry to come back to be the number one phone producer but it's my opinion that there's nothing that can do or invent that can be recognized as "the difference" with the others or can't be copied by competition before having an economic return.

Indeed the future of BlackBerry is QNX: only a deeper and stronger integration in the automotive system, industry and mobile devices can save BlackBerry the firm.

This said also the Internet of things, if made before te others, can save BlackBerry, yet it's QNX again.

Well, it's all up to programmers!

As for Phone devices, they MUST to be beautiful, trendy and freshly new because when the are seen as trendy and fashionable, they can appeal a little more to the masses.

[sentimentGX4]

I think what will improve Blackberry's reputation the most is merely bringing a relevant smartphone to the market. By "relevant", I mean a cutting edge spec'ed smartphone running Android and not a smartphone with 2 generation old specs and a homebrew OS that most consumers appear disinterested. I believe Blackberry still has a reputation for quality higher than many Asian OEMs, such as Samsung; but, as long as it continues releasing devices with low sales, such as the entire BB10 lineup, its reputation will remain tarnished.

The key to Blackberry's turnaround may be swallowing its pride and acknowledging when it's been had. Blackberry is in no financial position to maintain a zombie OS like Microsoft and Windows Phone. Android phones are what people are buying and Blackberry was incredibly pompous to think it was more tech savvy than its peers such as Sony, LG, Samsung, etc.

At the end of the day, Apple is Apple and every other OEM is not. The Apple model of maintaining its own ecosystem does not work for Blackberry and has not for any other OEM such as Palm or Nokia. (I have never owned any Apple products, btw.)

[jpvj]

These days you get a choice between an Android touchscreen or a flip phone. Yep, that's it. If you want a physical keyboard, you gotta deal with T9. Remember T9? Let's see, I want to send a text: "Hello". Ok. 44 (to get an H), 33 (to get an E), 555 ( to get an L) then pause, then 555 to get another L, then 666 to get an O. Yikes!

Incorrect. T9 solved excactly that issue.

[Banco]

Make a profit. Put to bed the idea that they're finished and going bust. That's the one thing that can give them a chance.

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[Dirtymike14]

The only chance they have at turning around their reputation is to change the company name completely, as soon as you mention the word Blackberry to someone they get a sour look on their face remembering their old legacy OS days. If I were blackberry I'd rename the company to QNX or something, something not many people know about

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[ljfong]

As an interesting thought experiment, I would say for BlackBerry to ever become #1 again, major disasters must happen on ALL of iOS, Android and Windows Phone. Yes, even Windows Phone. If iOS and Android were to go down in flames, Windows Phone has hands-down the best ecosystem and best integration with existing widely used enterprise infrastructure. This is with the assumption that BlackBerry continues down the path it is taking so far.

[bakron1]

I was in an ATT store today and was looking at the Nokia 1520 with a friend and the salesperson ask me what device I was using and I pulled out my z30.

To my surprise he knew allot about BlackBerry and OS10, I ask him about the 1520 and he told me they have the same app issues BlackBerry has and where not the popular device in the store.

He also said he would love to see BlackBerry improve their app ecosystem. He says allot of folks still ask about BlackBerry, but uncertainty about the future of the company is their main concern.

I would love to see BlackBerry send some folks from Waterloo come to the USA and help the carriers to rebuild the brand here, because according to the sales person folks are still interested in the brand here.

I know Mr Chen has a big job trying to get the company on solid financial ground before worrying about the consumer market here, but I still think they should at least try and start the mending process, just me two cents.

Send from my lovely z30 on T Mobile USA

[Bbnivende]

1. If the Q30 keyboard really does work better than your typical 5 inch phone virtual keyboard. Reviewers are in love with it.
2. The Q20 is able to bridge the gap between BBOS and BB10 by incorporating the trackpad in a innovative way.
3. A phone that meets Google Play standards yet is BB10 in every important way.
4. Makes really high end Porsche like devices at affordable prices.
5. A major brand other than BlackBerry makes a BB10 phone.
6. FoxConn makes a very high end BlackBerry that is in the iPhone 6 ballpark.

[jpvose]

A new name & brand! ... so make some changes a culture of fun and awesomely built in a funny & productive blind to appeal to pop culture and media, I'm thinking of a sub BlackBerry division called cool berry or something and it focuses on main user market

have fun... keep trying... BlackBerry

Worst comment in this thread....especially from a business prospective. Go buy some stickers

[jpvose]

Changing the name is the p*ussy way out. Blackberry needs to keep doing what they're doing - constant improvement. If they don't stray from that path, business, pro-sumers and consumers will come back. The technology is that much better. The peeps are realizing that iSh!t is washed up and the only differentiation they have left is Easter colors. Seriously the 5c is a CHEAP POS, reminiscent of the 8520/8530 peak. The 5c when paired with GOOD is nearly unusable.

[The Big Picture]

if QNX is really "in everything", cars, trains, home appliances, etc, BlackBerry 10 should be able to connect and interact seamlessly with those and the "internet of things". I think that could give BB10 a unique ability/feature no one else has or doesnt do as well.

Signature - Google wants your info. What are you gonna do about it?

[southlander]

if QNX is really "in everything", cars, trains, home appliances, etc, BlackBerry 10 should be able to connect and interact seamlessly with those and the "internet of things". I think that could give BB10 a unique ability/feature no one else has or doesnt do as well.

Signature - Google wants your info. What are you gonna do about it?

BlackBerry's QNX car platform is something that's open and anything can connect to if the integrator so desires. That being the case, ownership of it is not a game changer for BlackBerry at this point. And the moment they pulled some trick such as BlackBerry only features or hidden APIs, that would cause car manufacturers to look at something else.

[Supa_Fly1]

Beyond all the tech and patents even, which is a stretch, beyond the lagging apps and reliance on Android poets/emulation whatever, companies and many fan boys of other platforms KNOW of BlackBerry patents. They just think the importance in today's modern world is not so relevant anymore = consumers and business with super responsible staff that work at large corporations that allow BYOD of their choice.

It's about BlackBerry culture = there really IS none! Sure there are fans based on the device and more so the older BBOS vs BB10; but there is no culture or soul or reason for being BlackBerry! Their security is the closest that comes to something g of a soul but they express it in such business Co to actual agreement ways it has no connection to Co summers directly. It comes off as BlackBerry spreading FUD to stay in business. That is a major problem!!

BlackBerry needs to start simple with executing in s*it! Deliver or pucker up! Next live by the creedo = " if it don't make dollars it don't make sense!"

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[Dirtymike14]

Worst comment in this thread....especially from a business prospective. Go buy some stickers

Well that idea certainly worked well for Apple, and I think they're doing a little bit better than blackberry at the moment

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[Dirtymike14]

Changing the name is the p*ussy way out. Blackberry needs to keep doing what they're doing - constant improvement. If they don't stray from that path, business, pro-sumers and consumers will come back. The technology is that much better. The peeps are realizing that iSh!t is washed up and the only differentiation they have left is Easter colors. Seriously the 5c is a CHEAP POS, reminiscent of the 8520/8530 peak. The 5c when paired with GOOD is nearly unusable.

Only problem is that the peeps that are realizing ios is washed up arnt moving to blackberry, they're going to android and WP8.

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