[Mr.G_under]

This was expected on the basis of security concerns for major corporations. Chinese government has it concerns about the sale of Apple products on its market due to the ever growing concern of security loopholes with the Apple devices. This is the first 'Thumbs Down' for the partnership and I am pretty sure there will be others. Not sure how much IBM products are used in countries like Germany where BlackBerry is stronger with government agencies. If so, German manufacturers and service oriented business may follow suit clinging onto BlackBerry.

Back to the Chinese market, would it be safe to speculate that because of Chen's ethnicity that China may adopt BlackBerry's technology. Some may say that his ethnicity has nothing to do with creating opportunities, but remember that Chen is highly respected for his style of leadership. In addition, China is very big on security and BlackBerry being the leader in MDM/EMM would put them at 1st for winning accounts.

IBM-Apple deal hits snag as China spurns iPad

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

China is big on THEIR version of security....

BlackBerry doesn't have a foot in market there, and Chen's ethnicity isn't going to help BlackBerry there at all. Doubt the Chinese government wants anyone to have BlackBerry's level of security.... except maybe for themselves. And while Canada is not part of the US... not sure the Chinese see any distinction. The article says US, but I think in truth it's any Western technology they are questioning.

[lnichols]

Chen is from Hong Kong. While Hong Kong is now part of China again, at the time Chen left it was still very much British. China and Hong Kong still have separate passports, and you can't go easily from one to the other. The Chinese are likely to be leary of any company that isn't Chinese, and Chen can't get too cozy with the Chinese or risk worrying his non Chinese security conscious customers.

Posted with a BlackBerry Z10

[THBW]

I have always found the justification of the Apple - IBM partnership odd. Does it really take two of the world's largest companies to compete with wee little BlackBerry. Tells you a lot about how poor the underlying product must be. Further, I'm not sure either company has any real skin in the game or whether this was just one big face saving move by Apple.

Posted via CB10

[sfor13thlegion]

China is big on THEIR version of security....

BlackBerry doesn't have a foot in market there, and Chen's ethnicity isn't going to help BlackBerry there at all. Doubt the Chinese government wants anyone to have BlackBerry's level of security.... except maybe for themselves. And while Canada is not part of the US... not sure the Chinese see any distinction. The article says US, but I think in truth it's any Western technology they are questioning.

China probably doesn't want a foreign company to have access to its sensitive communications.

Same as Canada not wanting a Chinese company to have access to its sensitive communications.

That's kind of why I laughed when someone suggested the Yota phone as serious competition for Blackberry.

Imagine a Russian company, using Android as serious competition (given the state of world affairs and Russia's behaviour, as of late).

Posted via CB10

[lnichols]

I have always found the justification of the Apple - IBM partnership odd. Does it really take two of the world's largest companies to compete with wee little BlackBerry. Tells you a lot about how poor the underlying product must be. Further, I'm not sure either company has any real skin in the game or whether this was just one big face saving move by Apple.

Posted via CB10

Look at BlackPhone's failure with Android and the hacking they just took. Apple is having issues with FIPS approval as each version of IOS, every update, has to be retested. Security simply isn't easy, and if it was everyone would be doing it to get those markets that BlackBerry still is relevant i.. I think at some point Apple may just get sick of trying to make it work, and just buy BlackBerry. We have already seen IOS emulation in BB10 a while ago, so I think a transition could be made pretty easy, especially with Apple money behind it. My guess is the only thing that has prevented it so far is Apple's ego and them thinking they can get it right alone, or thinking that BlackBerry would fail and they could get the pieces cheaper in Bankruptcy. IOS is on revision 8 now and they have been trying to get FIPS since version 3 and while they have gotten it, it is always a very narrow approval compared to BB10.

Posted with a BlackBerry Z10

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

I have always found the justification of the Apple - IBM partnership odd. Does it really take two of the world's largest companies to compete with wee little BlackBerry. Tells you a lot about how poor the underlying product must be. Further, I'm not sure either company has any real skin in the game or whether this was just one big face saving move by Apple.

Posted via CB10

Not sure competing with wee little BlackBerry has much to do with it.

Apple make products that Enterprise wants - namely the iPad. And IBM is very big in Enterprise - they have software and services that help business run smoother and be more productive. Tablets along with Phones are devices that many in Enterprise are using on a daily basis. EMM is just a small part of what IBM and the Apple deal are about.

As far as I know, BlackBerry's focus is on phones and EMM. They seem to be a long way from having a true platform that would allow enterprise customer to implement many of the "tools" that a traditional PC or now a Tablet are designed for.

Think the Apple/Enterprise deal are more about filling a void and staying ahead of Microsoft.

[Mayor McCheese]

China is big on THEIR version of security....

BlackBerry doesn't have a foot in market there, and Chen's ethnicity isn't going to help BlackBerry there at all. Doubt the Chinese government wants anyone to have BlackBerry's level of security.... except maybe for themselves. And while Canada is not part of the US... not sure the Chinese see any distinction. The article says US, but I think in truth it's any Western technology they are questioning.

I think the hidden motive here is that Chinese government likes to hate on and make western companies work harder and have more obstacles to overcome, such that Chinese substitutes thrive as alternatives.

Posted via CB10

[BlackBerry Guy]

If anything, China will want to push companies like Xiaomi, Huawei, and ZTE. It was rumoured a few years ago that some of those firms have ties to the Chinese government.

[Ment]

The story OP linked has been refuted. China refutes claim of government ban on Apple purchases

According to a Bloomberg News report published on Wednesday, 10 Apple products, including MacBook laptops and iPad tablets, were taken off a government list of approved hardware due to security concerns.

The Central Government Procurement Centre, as well as the finance ministry and Apple, said the company never applied to be on the list in the first place.

The list that created the confusion this week involves energy-saving products, and is just one of a multitude of government procurement lists in China. Apple has never been on that list, the company said in emailed comments on Friday, declining to give more details.

"Even though Apple has the certification for energy-saving products... it has never provided the necessary verification material and agreements according to the regulations," said a Finance Ministry fax sent to Reuters on Thursday evening, a statement closely mirrored by the Central Government Procurement Centre in their own announcement on Friday.

The government can still purchase Apple products, even if they are not on the energy-saving list, according to the Central Government Procurement Centre website.

That said due to costs and nationalistic sentiments I'm sure there is internal pressure to favor homegrown products.

[tchocky77]

China is big on THEIR version of security....

BlackBerry doesn't have a foot in market there, and Chen's ethnicity isn't going to help BlackBerry there at all. Doubt the Chinese government wants anyone to have BlackBerry's level of security.... except maybe for themselves. And while Canada is not part of the US... not sure the Chinese see any distinction. The article says US, but I think in truth it's any Western technology they are questioning.

Exactly. We're talking about the Chinese government here. They're mistrustful of anything they don't absolutely control themselves.

And I'm not sure how this in anyway means the deal is "in hot water." That China doesn't like it surprises no one and it matters not even a little to the actual deal going through or not.

[CBCListener]

Back to the Chinese market, would it be safe to speculate that because of Chen's ethnicity that China may adopt BlackBerry's technology.

You know, that's a borderline racist remark. How in the world could any agency worth its credibility make a decision based, in whole or in part, on the ethnicity of a company's CEO?

[serbanescu]

You know, that's a borderline racist remark. How in the world could any agency worth its credibility make a decision based, in whole or in part, on the ethnicity of a company's CEO?

It's not racist at all. Ethnicity can be a great asset when an intelligence agency makes a recruitment attempt. It depends only on the subject - namely if ethnicity is a powerful motivator for he / she.

[Heinz Katchup]

It's not racist at all. Ethnicity can be a great asset when an intelligence agency makes a recruitment attempt. It depends only on the subject - namely if ethnicity is a powerful motivator for he / she.

Why stop there? How bout any entity making any recruitment attempt. I mean the fact there's a billion Indians in existence had no bearing on Microsoft choosing their next CEO. Adjusts tin foil hat.

[serbanescu]

Why stop there? How bout any entity making any recruitment attempt. I mean the fact there's a billion Indians in existence had no bearing on Microsoft choosing their next CEO. Adjusts tin foil hat.

Your political correctness makes you miss the point here: my argument was against the idea that is borderline racist to think that a CEO's ethnicity can be a factor in a decision made by China (or other great power) in acquiring BlackBerry or BlackBerry services (or other stategic asset).

I find it naive not to understand the power ethnicity (or "patriotism") can have on some individuals - and the fact that intelligence agencies everywhere are using it as a tool for recruitment (on individuals having this "vulnerability"). I am not saying John Chen is an agent, I am saying it's perfectly rational to discuss this situation, without being labeled a racist.

[Heinz Katchup]

Your political correctness makes you miss the point here: my argument was against the idea that is borderline racist to think that a CEO's ethnicity can be a factor in a decision made by China (or other great power) in acquiring BlackBerry or BlackBerry services (or other stategic asset).

I find it naive not to understand the power ethnicity (or "patriotism") can have on some individuals - and the fact that intelligence agencies everywhere are using it as a tool for recruitment (on individuals having this "vulnerability"). I am not saying John Chen is an agent, I am saying it's perfectly rational to discuss this situation, without being labeled a racist.

I don't think anyone's calling you a racist. But if a Chinese government agency chose BlackBerry only because their CEO is Chinese is racist.

[Skatophilia]

I never felt like this would workout very well, however I assumed it would take a little while longer until something came about. It seems to me as though the actual "creating beautiful pieces of security" was number two on both companies lists. While attempting to raise their price of stock was number one

[RubberChicken76]

Not sure competing with wee little BlackBerry has much to do with it.

While I get where you're coming from when it comes to companies the size of Apple and IBM, I but confess that I always chuckle when people refer to BlackBerry as "small" with "billions of dollars in revenue", "thousands of employees" and "tens of millions of customers".

I know, I know - small compared to Apple, Google, IBM, Microsoft. But compared to most companies in business, they're absolutely colossal in size.

[collinc93]

wee BlackBerry is meant to be exactly what you think....condescending

[Heinz Katchup]

Not sure competing with wee little BlackBerry has much to do with it.

Rule number one of ruthless balls to the wall capitalism.

1. Stomp out any and all competitors. No matter how wee.

Posted with X10 via CB10

[BCITMike]

You know, that's a borderline racist remark. How in the world could any agency worth its credibility make a decision based, in whole or in part, on the ethnicity of a company's CEO?

Too many

Posted via CB10

[sentimentGX4]

China is big on THEIR version of security....

BlackBerry doesn't have a foot in market there, and Chen's ethnicity isn't going to help BlackBerry there at all. Doubt the Chinese government wants anyone to have BlackBerry's level of security.... except maybe for themselves. And while Canada is not part of the US... not sure the Chinese see any distinction. The article says US, but I think in truth it's any Western technology they are questioning.

China is just on top of national security in general. Even Kaspersky, which is Russian, got the boot. If China ever considered Blackberry a trustworthy hardware supplier, it would have bought into them at its height around 2006 or something. There are few new advantages to choosing Blackberry versus competitors since then.

Also the honest truth is that, despite a lot of the Canadian/international public feeling antagonistic toward Americans, Canada is easily the US' first and foremost ally.

[zocster]

Moved to other platform

Sent from 2AD743B7 via Tapatalk Pro

[early2bed]

The first apps from the Apple/IBM partnership have been announced.

The first IBM MobileFirst for iOS applications include:

Plan Flight (Travel and Transportation) addresses the major expense of all airlines—fuel—permitting pilots to view flight schedules, flight plans, and crew manifests ahead of time, report issues in-flight to ground crews, and make more informed decisions about discretionary fuel.

Passenger+ (Travel and Transportation) empowers flight crews to offer an unmatched level of personalized services to passengers in-flight—including special offers, re-booking, and baggage information.

Advise & Grow (Banking and Financial Markets) puts bankers on premise with their small business clients, with secure authorization to access client profiles and competitive analyses, gather analytics-driven insights to make personalized recommendations, and complete secure transactions.

Trusted Advice (Banking and Financial Markets) allows advisors to access and manage client portfolios, gain insight from powerful predictive analytics—in the client's kitchen or at the local coffee shop, rather than the advisor's office—with full ability to test recommendations with sophisticated modeling tools all the way to complete, secure transactions.

Retention (Insurance) empowers agents with access to customers' profiles and history, including an analytics-driven retention risk score as well as smart alerts, reminders, and recommendations on next best steps and facilitation of key transactions like collection of e-signatures and premiums.

Case Advice (Government) addresses the issue of workload and support among caseworkers who are making critical decisions, one family or situation at a time, on the go. The solution adjusts case priorities based on real-time analytics-driven insights, and assesses risk based on predictive analysis.

Incident Aware (Government) converts an iPhone into a vital crime prevention asset, presenting law enforcement officers with real-time access to maps and video-feeds of incident locations; information about victim status, escalation risk, and crime history; and improved ability to call for back-up and supporting services.

Sales Assist (Retail) enables associates to connect with customer profiles, make suggestions based on previous purchases and current selections, check inventory, locate items in-store, and ship out-of-store items.

Pick & Pack (Retail) combines proximity-based technology with back-end inventory systems for transformed order fulfillment.

Expert Tech (Telecommunications) taps into native iOS capabilities including FaceTime� for easy access to expertise and location services for route optimization to deliver superior on-site service, more effective issue resolution and productivity as well as improved customer satisfaction.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/ibm-appl...WhatsNewsForth

[eldricho]

Those look like some powerful productivity apps, interesting to see the adoption rate that is going to come out of it

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