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By IAN AUSTEN and BRIAN X. CHEN
Published: January 16, 2012

OTTAWA � Nearly 10 months after its debut, the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet will finally get e-mail and other important missing features in February. But after examining a preview of the software upgrade last week, several analysts said the device�s maker, Research in Motion, continues to struggle with significant technical issues, which could hinder its effort to reverse its declining fortunes.

And they said the upgrade was unlikely to significantly improve sales of the tablet computer to businesses, a target market. RIM�s continued inability to make the PlayBook work directly with its global network means that corporations looking for high-security BlackBerry e-mail on their tablets will first need costly software upgrades to their computer systems. For consumers, it means that the popular BlackBerry Messenger instant-messaging system is still missing from the tablet.

Neither development, some analysts say, is a positive sign for the BlackBerry 10 operating system, a variation of the PlayBook�s software for the coming phones that RIM hopes will restore the BlackBerry�s popularity in North America.

�There are obviously some technical problems integrating this that they weren�t able to solve,� said Mike Abramsky, an analyst with RBC Capital Markets. �They�re being very disorganized and uncommunicative about it.�

Mr. Abramsky and other analysts who attended demonstrations of the software upgrade at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week complained that RIM�s reluctance to provide specifics about the new software, known as PlayBook O.S. 2, led to widespread confusion about its capabilities, particularly for business users.

Given that RIM effectively created the wireless e-mail market with the BlackBerry, there was considerable surprise when the PlayBook appeared last April without e-mail software or software for synching entries from users� electronic calendars and address books.

RIM has never publicly explained the reason for that omission. But many industry and financial analysts have said the features were absent because the company could not make the device work with its unique global data network. That network connects directly to cellphone companies� networks. It is a major reason business and government BlackBerry phones have such high e-mail security that it has been a source of contention in nations where law enforcement and security services would like to monitor BlackBerry users� messages.

For consumers, the RIM network bypasses carriers� normal text-messaging systems, making BlackBerry Messenger messages less expensive and faster.

But RIM�s network was designed so that only one hand-held device can be used with any particular user�s account, creating problems for people with both a BlackBerry phone and a PlayBook.

From what RIM previewed in Las Vegas last week, it appears that most PlayBooks will rely entirely on Microsoft Exchange Active Sync, the same technology found on phones or tablets that people use on the other common mobile operating systems � Apple�s iOS, Android from Google and Microsoft�s Windows Phone.

RIM has not disclosed what specific roles its network will play in that arrangement. But Tenille Kennedy, a spokeswoman for the company, which is based in Ontario, said PlayBooks with the new software �will significantly leverage RIM�s global BlackBerry infrastructure.�

Nor has the company offered a full explanation about the continued absence of BlackBerry Messenger. In an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation last week, Alec Saunders, vice president for developer relations at RIM, offered only this explanation: �Building software takes time.�

In an e-mail, Ms. Kennedy said corporate and government users who want highly encrypted BlackBerry service must update to the latest version of RIM�s BlackBerry Enterprise Server software. They also must use BlackBerry Mobile Fusion, which will not be sold until late February. When it was announced last year, the Fusion software was described as allowing corporations to manage iPhones and Android phones through their BlackBerry servers.

But several analysts said most corporations were not likely to upgrade to accommodate the PlayBook because in addition to cost, there is a potential for errors causing widespread disruption.

�This is not something many enterprises will do proactively unless they already have an active PlayBook deployment program,� said Jan Dawson, an analyst with Ovum who also saw the software demonstrated last week.

Bill Kreher, an analyst with Edward Jones, said the announcement last week was more of a signal that RIM had been struggling to make the new phones work.

�We fear the company is having big difficulty porting native e-mail to the BlackBerry 10 O.S.,� Mr. Kreher said. �RIM has had a poor track record in recent history in delivering their products.�

But Jeff Orr of ABI Research described the new software as �phase one� and said he expected improved e-mail systems to be released eventually. He acknowledged, however, that the development of the new phones did not seem smooth from the outside.

�Until that vision plays out, it�s going to appear fragmented and chaotic,� he said.

Ian Austen reported from Ottawa and Brian X. Chen from Las Vegas.


Link to article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/17/te...-analysts.html

[mnhockeycoach99]

Abramsky is a total anti-RIM d-bag.. I'm surprised he doesn't have a part-time job working as an iBGR editor.

[omniusovermind]

biased article from a newspaper that's more and more like a tabloid every day. I don't see this as a credible article.

[jackmoe]

�There are obviously some technical problems integrating this that they weren�t able to solve,� said Mike Abramsky, an analyst with RBC Capital Markets. �They�re being very disorganized and uncommunicative about it.�

�We fear the company is having big difficulty porting native e-mail to the BlackBerry 10 O.S.,� Mr. Kreher said. �RIM has had a poor track record in recent history in delivering their products.�

I really don't agree with this type of blatant speculation. I respect the opinions because they are analysts working for respected institutions, but I don't feel that this type of assumption is founded, and it creates more harm than good.

While I agree that a lack of communication from RIM is frustrating, see �They�re being very disorganized and uncommunicative about it.� - It really makes it seem like this professional is acting like a spoiled child who didn't get their way.

RIM�s reluctance to provide specifics about the new software, known as PlayBook O.S. 2, led to widespread confusion about its capabilities, particularly for business users.

I daresay that RIM is holding off on the announcement until there is something tangible to report, and they can offer a press release which covers all the details. Can you really blame them for holding off on making preliminary statements after the way that both the media and analysts have been acting?

But Jeff Orr of ABI Research described the new software as �phase one� and said he expected improved e-mail systems to be released eventually. He acknowledged, however, that the development of the new phones did not seem smooth from the outside.

�Until that vision plays out, it�s going to appear fragmented and chaotic,� he said.

I think this is a much more objective view of the situation, and I would agree with what Mr. Orr is speculating. The onus is on RIM at this point to prove everyone otherwise and I think that they realize this. They are being very careful not to leak or make any statements until they are absolutely sure they can, lest the media rip them apart. I think this is a good move on their part, I would rather see them comeback with a strong, unified statement. I don't think it will hurt them greatly if analysts and the media are in the dark for a while.

[greatwiseone]

They haven't seen the Crackberry video on the role that the NOC will play in PlayBook OS 2.0 and BB10....RIM's going down the route of ActiveSync, and I'm shocked that ActiveSync is not mentioned a single time in that article. Just to show how much those guys know...

[kingbernie06511]

Abramsky is a total anti-RIM d-bag.. I'm surprised he doesn't have a part-time job working as an iBGR editor.

until RIM delivers a complete email experience on BBX, he is right. RiM's phone development is indeed chaotic.

[Tre Lawrence]

Oh. NYTimes is biased too? LOL.

I wondered how long someone would take before mentioning BGR.



Mobile post via Tapatalk

[siausin]

..Did you see a trend? RIM is damned they do and more damned if they don't. People will always find faults with RIM because it is the popular bashing boy. RIM's only hope - keep trying to refresh and better its products, don't overhyped (should have learned from its costly PB's overhyping bad move) Let's the sales speak for itself.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9810 using Tapatalk

[kevinnugent]

Oh dear. Bring out the clowns.

NYTimes to join the list of anti-RIM publications. News at 11.

[morph_ca]

So if you're Blackberry, being tight-lipped about upcoming products means you're 'disorganized and uncommunicative'.

However if you're Apple, a company that brings a whole new meaning to corporate secrecy, that very same attitude generates excitement and free publicity from these very same analysts and writers.

Good to know fair and honest reporting is alive and well in the tech industry.

[justincase1911]

Does anyone take the NYT seriously anymore? I mean really. My dog won't even take a pee on that rag. He has standards too.

[gord888]

..Did you see a trend? RIM is damned they do and more damned if they don't. People will always find faults with RIM because it is the popular bashing boy. RIM's only hope - keep trying to refresh and better its products, don't overhyped (should have learned from its costly PB's overhyping bad move) Let's the sales speak for itself.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9810 using Tapatalk

For a canadian writter, he sure seems to hate RIM... maybe he's just got the winter blues.

[sleepngbear]

So if you're Blackberry, being tight-lipped about upcoming products means you're 'disorganized and uncommunicative'.

However if you're Apple, a company that brings corporate secrecy to a whole new level, that very same attitude generates excitement and free publicity from these very same analysts and writers.

Good to know fair and honest reporting is alive and well in the tech industry.

Yeah, except when RIM isn't tight-lipped, they're raked over the coals for announcing new stuff too soon.

@omni, NYT has been more like a tabloid for years. They lost any credibility they may have had back when Reagan was campaigning in the Rep. presidential primaries.

[HabsSuck]

until RIM delivers a complete email experience on BBX, he is right. RiM's phone development is indeed chaotic.

he is wrong, RIM will soon deliver email/calendar/contacts on PlayBook which is a prelude to BB10. when RIM is ready to show a working protype they will, these analyst are so impatient and then they criticize when things are rushed.

[lotuslanderz]

So if you're Blackberry, being tight-lipped about upcoming products means you're 'disorganized and uncommunicative'.

However if you're Apple, a company that brings a whole new meaning to corporate secrecy, that very same attitude generates excitement and free publicity from these very same analysts and writers.

Good to know fair and honest reporting is alive and well in the tech industry.

Yep.
Brian X. Chen is not exactly known for his lack of bias. Ian Austen ought to know better!

[HabsSuck]

So if you're Blackberry, being tight-lipped about upcoming products means you're 'disorganized and uncommunicative'.

However if you're Apple, a company that brings a whole new meaning to corporate secrecy, that very same attitude generates excitement and free publicity from these very same analysts and writers.

Good to know fair and honest reporting is alive and well in the tech industry.

you are bang on, RIM is the whipping boy damn if you do damn if you don't

[Snyder81]

They haven't seen the Crackberry video on the role that the NOC will play in PlayBook OS 2.0 and BB10....RIM's going down the route of ActiveSync, and I'm shocked that ActiveSync is not mentioned a single time in that article. Just to show how much those guys know...

I don't follow NYT but the fact that readers can't leave a comment on their article speaks volumes...


The reason RIM went with ActiveSync is because the legacy MAPI/CDO standards they use ip through BES5 have significant limitations including size and frequent sync errors on Calendar items. The BB Fusion tools will encapsulate ActiveSync on RIM's encrypted network through their NOC. Presumably the BB10 phones will work the same way. As a long time user of the BES, I welcome these changes to a more modern standard while coupling the advances with RIM's transport security and "push" email.

From a security perspective this means I don't have to expose an Exchange server to the internet and I still get to enjoy the improvements in ActiveSync. It looks like this first go-round RIM is not encapsulating iOS and Android ActiveSync traffic so you will need to expose ActiveSync to the internet for those users. That said, it will be really nice to have a unified console to manage BB, iOS and Android devices. Fortunately most in the IT world will do their own research so I don't expect negative speculation from a third-rate publication to taint these new capabilities. Stick to that release schedule RIM, and you'll see business pick back up.

[VishRS]

I cannot agree more. This article is from the head not from heart.
People who bought playbooks early last year know the pain. I bought it in 1week after new year so definitely for me ALL IS WELL.
There is no denying fact that RIM had surely lost it's way(and market share too!)
Innovation is the way, nobody cares what you did yesterday, it is what you do today that matters and yes Im glad RIM is back on the track.

[Dukey Avalon]

Let's revisit this thread when OS2 is launched and we'll see if we're dealing with a biased news media or an inceasingly helter skelter technology company.

[Alex_Hong]

since they are quoting from analysts not RIM employees, i dont see how this article could be taken seriously at all. its like a toilet cleaner telling you what shares you should buy. Absolutely no basis of truth. They may as well quote fortune tellers.

If i remember, Jeff Gadway did mentioned something about activesync and then adding an additional layer of RIM's security on it. Cant really remember whether it was for business or consumers though. Anyone still remember? Or did i just confuse it with some other news? haha.

[BBThemes]

until RIM delivers a complete email experience on BBX, he is right. RiM's phone development is indeed chaotic.

i suggest a rewording.

until RIM delivers a final consumer version of BB10 (which is phones, so in 6 months) then mike `i said the PB only had 4 hrs battery life` abramsky is simply speculating.

[greatwiseone]

since they are quoting from analysts not RIM employees, i dont see how this article could be taken seriously at all. its like a toilet cleaner telling you what shares you should buy. Absolutely no basis of truth. They may as well quote fortune tellers.

If i remember, Jeff Gadway did mentioned something about activesync and then adding an additional layer of RIM's security on it. Cant really remember whether it was for business or consumers though. Anyone still remember? Or did i just confuse it with some other news? haha.

If you watch the Crackberry video on the NOC, Mike Clewley said that they are overlaying RIM security protocols on ActiveSync. So essentially, it's not just any implementation of ActiveSync, but RIM's own secure implementation. It removes the RIM NOC from having the carry the burden of polling email boxes and pushing the emails down to the BlackBerries, and I think it's the right way (especially for the consumer side).

RIM's going to have to maintain the current NOC for the foreseeable future in any event with tons of BBOS phones still being sold overseas.

[Economist101]

So if you're Blackberry, being tight-lipped about upcoming products means you're 'disorganized and uncommunicative'.

However if you're Apple, a company that brings a whole new meaning to corporate secrecy, that very same attitude generates excitement and free publicity from these very same analysts and writers.

Good to know fair and honest reporting is alive and well in the tech industry.

RIM went from pre-announcing the PlayBook 7 months before launch to telling users that things were "scheduled" for the 60 days following launch to "DevCon" to "February 2012." It's the scatterbrained behavior that leads to the argument that they're disorganized and uncommunicative.

As for the Apple comparison, that they sell over a million iPads each week undermines your argument; if RIM were selling a million PlayBooks a week (or even a month), then there would be no story. But a million PlayBooks in 9 months after Jim B. claimed a huge amount of pre-launch interest? These aren't exactly the kind of results that suggest all is well at RIM.

[sam_b77]

Just because RIM is not able to have two devices working on BBM together doesn't mean that BB10 phones won't have BBM. That would be a single device working on BBM and I'm sure they have that down. I still don't get why people need BBM on a tablet this bad. Does anyone have BBM on their laptops??
And anyway if you have a BB then you don't want both devices going off when you get a BBM. I would always pick up my BB to answer a BBM.

And for those who don't have a BB but want BBM, well you can't. As simple as that. I don't have a mac product but I want FaceTime. How do I get it?

[blue-b]

RIM went from pre-announcing the PlayBook 7 months before launch to telling users that things were "scheduled" for the 60 days following launch to "DevCon" to "February 2012." It's the scatterbrained behavior that leads to the argument that they're disorganized and uncommunicative.

As for the Apple comparison, that they sell over a million iPads each week undermines your argument; if RIM were selling a million PlayBooks a week (or even a month), then there would be no story. But a million PlayBooks in 9 months after Jim B. claimed a huge amount of pre-launch interest? These aren't exactly the kind of results that suggest all is well at RIM.

Apple has a call sound problem that they are yet to admit to right now, it is starting to bubble, but shocked media hasn't jumped on it. What are they waiting for, where is the communication? I am running a 3gs which hasn't had the issue, but I have a few frutrated friends. Nobody would think RIM's execution has been anywhere close to perfect, but to give apple a free pass because they sell a lot of devices is silly.