Originally Posted by
spacemanspork Actually Blackberry didn't use smart business sense which is why they're struggling a bit now.
Smart Business Sense: Going cross platform early. Trump everyone. Be the leader have everyone scramble to match you!
Fairly Smart Business sense: Seeing the rise of the small platforms. Seeing Whatsapp, Viber, LINE start to make a dent and then deciding that's the way to go. Start coding BBM for Android, iOS, Windows Phone ASAP and have it working well. Don't release it but closely watch the market and pull the trigger on the release when you think you need to.
Obvious business sense: Seeing big names getting into the messaging business. Apple doesn't go cross platform but works with iPads, Macs, and the iPhone. Google and Facebook go cross platforms. The small platforms gain more and more steam. Then deciding to go cross platform.
Bad business sense: Allowing many competitors to gain market share bigger than yours before going cross platform. Then realizing BBM will be left as a highly specialized and barely used platform if they don't go cross platform. Then deciding "you know this isn't good is it?" This is where Blackberry is.
Very bad business sense: Never going cross platform.
You know they waited too long when multiple people you know who used to use Blackberry extensively for years don't even have an interest in installing BBM because "no one I know uses it anymore except you." My 2 friends that previously were big Blackberry users no longer care about it since everyone they know have already moved off of it years ago. The problem with waiting so long is everyone already became vested in other platforms and BBM isn't really superior to the other platforms so there's no incentive to switch. So going cross platform is smart business sense. Waiting as long as Blackberry did is dumb business sense.
You can point out iMessage isn't cross platform and you'd be right, but Apple's a different beast (Blackberry doesn't have the name recognition or common appeal Apple does) and even then I think they're going to suffer for it too in the future.