Arm Chair CEO, giving his Opinion to RIM
In the spirit of the recent trend of OPEN letters to XXXX,
here is my Open letter to RIM, with my 2 year-3year hopes,
I hope you read it, think about the content, and heck you�re welcome to contact me via this site, and I�d gladly come to waterloo and tell you what I think is wrong with every department from the ground up.
Plus I'm bored on a Sunday
Firstly My expectations would be QNX based OS�s deployed across the Entire Active line, the QNX OS needs to have evolved from the Playbook OS, to include the ability to �theme� the devices as well as include desktop widgets, though there are not many widgets I�d like I can think of a few I�d like live on my desktop all the time.
The QNX device line, including the Playbook need to be opened up to app installation outside of Appworld, OTA, installation for developers to make apps to be installed direct from their sites, to maximize their potential ROI for time put in, and encourage App development. This is also crucial for theme developers.
I would be working on KEY partnerships with major Software developers to bring their products to the QNX line, with in the next 12 months I would be expecting at least in testing if not already released, a Partnership with Microsoft to Bring OFFICE to the Blackberry, as a pay for premium service. **(more on this in another post below),
I would be working with Adobe which currently has a vested interest in the Playbook, and the future of QNX with Adobe AIR, to bring a Trimmed Photoshop application, as well as a PDF reader/creator/editor to the playbook in the short term, and to the QNX based handhelds in the long term,
I believe a Partnership with Netflix, or working with the Carriers who do Streaming content is vital to the long term success of RIM, media consumption is a very important part of the tablet and handheld experience today, working on multiple channels for media consumption is very important to continued revenue, beyond just hardware sales.
A few Software Projects I would assign managers to and have a HARD look at what needs to be done to them
> Contact management! *** post to discuss this below
> Calendar, TODO, Integration with email, **** post to discuss this below
>Media management, ( I know it is lacking, but don�t really know personally what I would change yet)
>Camera/Video software ***** Post to discuss this below
Cloud Services, Over the next 36 months RIM would develop and deploy a Cloud Storage service, in conjunction with Webmail access, and Device control access via the cloud. The Cloud services would include abilities to share calendars, and contacts over groups outside of BES environments, also developing a BESX cloud based environment for Small to medium size businesses, who do not want to host their own BES/BESX but would like the controls over devices.
The OS development from OS7 to QNX must ensure that apps can be made for OS7 and ported to QNX with little if any work by the developer, and this must be pushed to the developers, the fact that the current OS7 devices probably will not get QNX. Over the next 2 years OS7 devices need to be updated to include API�s to allow for easy backwards compatibility from QNX apps to OS7 apps so developers and users get the maximum value from their purchases and development time in this time of RIM device uncertainty.
On the Hardware front here is where my pipe dreaming comes into play:
I would like to see the following release schedule over the next 24-36 months, using calendar quarters: (FF= Form Factor)
Q2 2011, 99XX OS7.
Q3 2011 Blackberry Torch2 OS7, Blackberry Touch OS7.
Q4 2011 Blackberry Curve OS7, Playbook 10� First Gen
Q1 2012, Blackberry Curve Touch OS7, Playbook 7� Second Gen
Q2 2012, Blackberry BOLD 9700FF QNX, Blackberry Pearl QNX,
Q3 2012 Blackberry Touch QNX, Playbook 10� Second Gen
Q4 2012, Blackberry Curve QNX, Blackberry Torch QNX
Q1 2013 Blackberry Curve Touch QNX, Blackberry Style QNX
Q2 2013 Blackberry BOLD 9900FF Playbook 7� 3rd Gen
Q3 2013 Blackberry Touch QNX
Q4 2013 Blackberry Torch QNX, Playbook 10� 3rd Gen
In RIM�s position as a Secured communication�s provider I would be developing RIM Medical:
RIM Medical would provide Hospital Communications service and both onsite/ offside data housing, using an Electronic Medical Records (EMR)software, linking to a BES, with MVS, and ties into an Electronic Medical Equipment Communications System (EMECS), and PACS, What RIM would build here is hospitals dependent on their software and hardware solutions, it would also allow RIM to work with medical equipment manufacturers such as Bed makers, to create machines that can interface with the EMECS and in turn work with BES, allowing for live data transfer throughout the hospital, Selling Playbooks as input tools to attach to devices that control IV flow, and Beds that monitor heart rates and breathing, selling Blackberry�s as user devices and communications tools. The Medical industry is a higher margin industry and is very dependent on security, and system integration, something RIM is very good with, RIM as a company is large enough, to advance itself into this industry as a primary provider and not just a piece of the puzzle. Apple IS invading this market, and currently none of the players in the mobile space have a strong footing, RIM needs to take it and control it, like they used to control the corporate world.
With the Medical advancement RIM could use the Playbook to get into Terminal computing, creating Playbook Docks like the Asus Transformer, but also a docking station for a Blackberry handhelds creating a RIM focused Desktop, In pursuing this RIM could develop a 17� Playbook, though on the consumer side it would barely sell, but in the Enterprise market, a 17� Playbook with 16GB of onboard storage priced around $800 would be an excellent fit, 16GB would allow for the minimal native applications that need to be installed locally, most other items would be stored via the server, in the office environment, having the employee�s Blackberry Dock into the terminal makes their mobile phone into their office phone connected to the PBX, thus sharing the cost of Mobile + Desk communications.
This Helps bring BACK the corporate buying of Mobile phones, instead of having the employees bring their own mobile phones. Ones Phone extension is linked to their PIN, when they dock their blackberry to the network, when people call the extension it goes through the Blackberry, when they disconnect, it A) forwards to the mobile number, or B) goes to a voicemail, able to be accessed via the Blackberry on Mobile.
I would launch a RIM Retail chain, with a retail Chain RIM gets to capture the full margin potential from their products, Both Apple, and Sony do this while maintaining distribution channels, I feel RIM should do this as well, when they only offered Smart phones they could not realistically fill a retail store, BUT! I believe RIM could fill the retail store with Blackberry�s, Tablets, Built for Blackberry Peripherals, as well as increase their peripheral line, Products I would like to see RIM develop are
> a Peco Projector for use with the Playbook,
> a Blackberry Presenter with HDMI in/Out,
> a Business Card Scanner, like �CardScans�,
> a wireless portable printer,
> a couple of Music Docking stations for charging and music playback Both Handheld, AND Playbook options.
Having dedicated RIM product sales people with training about Useful RIM product features, and hosting �Getting to know your Blackberry� workshops, at the retail outlets would continue to create Crackberry users, it is the lack of presence in the market place that is hurting RIM,
the Apple Products are IN YOU FACE, the Android products are the geeky culture products, so they are the products that the geeky family member push from the inside, as they are so abundant in numbers that advertising is mentioning Android all the time, with hot new flashy features that don�t need to be enterprise ready.
What the Mobile market NEEDS is an alternative to iTunes for their media downloading, Amazon or Microsoft would be 2 company�s I would approach to partner with, maybe all 3 partner together, to build an OPEN media distribution centre, for downloading MP3�s, Movies, books, it could tie into Microsoft�s Live system, for connection to Set tops, could have the Amazon ebook library and music, and have RIM�s installed user base as the first mobile user base for this new OPEN platform, allowing the 3 players to share the profits from running this network, this is something that is drastically needed, and it needs to be led by major players to be successful against iTunes.