[SK122387]

I welcome the idea of Mike L returning. I was actually kinda disappointed when he was replaced. I can't imagine how it must feel to see your "baby" get taken away from you, then tarnished even further.

I certainly know how his dismissal of the iPhone proved to be fatally wrong, but I also know that there's probably a good chance he wants to see BlackBerry remain whole.

If he does return, I would like to think that there is no way he would repeat some of the same type grave misjudgments he made in the past.

[johnnyuk]

I would have agreed to keep him as COO until the $Bn write down this quarter. It was really surprising that the ex-COO could manage inventory so poorly.

Posted via CB10

It wasn't surprising, he did it with the PlayBook and didn't learn! He repeats mistakes, he should be gone.

Posted via CB10

[johnnyuk]

Mike L did not even see QNX. Dan Dodge peddled it to him, and Mike L. said okay, but please prove you can do "mobile" and then we will consider it for BBX (hence the Playbook). That in itself cost BBRY 2 years it did not have. Next in line is the fact that Mike L. and his older protege (TH) scuttled Jim B.'s plan to get BBM cross platform in 2011-2012. So now two years later they say okay, let's do it -- and even then TH has no idea how to do it. Another 2 years lost.
Jim B. may be arrogant and interested in hockey, but if he had not sunk his funds in RIM and started getting the money and the contracts, RIM would have been a QNX type of company (max revenue of 50 MM per year), if that.

This precisely!

Mike L got RIM in to the death spiral by wasting 2 years on a misguided "me too!" tablet that revealed the company's inability to innovate and execute in the new consumer led market when it should have been using QNX to reinvent its smartphone platform first. Just over a decade ago he turned the pager in to the emailer and then in to the mobile phone with email, and then stopped having good ideas.

For a few years the needs of the Enterprise smartphone user and Mike L with his engineering led focus on security and compression were aligned like orbiting planets, a window of opportunity, but once Enterprise was put in the shadow of the Jupiter of consumerisation Mike L's sleeves didn't have the right kind of tricks up them anymore.

His biggest failing was not recognising soon enough that he couldn't take the company in the right direction and my fear if he were to return is that it would be in too influential a role with more bad ideas.

Posted via CB10

[Brutal Efficiency]

Lazaridis was a visionary. He just needed some time to reflect.

Now that he has seen BlackBerry driven into the ground, he'll be back with a vengeance.


Also... he is doing Quantum Computing. I bloody well want to see Quantum Computing in my BlackBerry.

My Tech-Fleet: Q10; Z10; PlayBook; Surface Pro; Xbox 360; HP TouchPad; iPod Touch 5

[sexybabe88]

He'll be back in time to diss the s5 and iPhone 6. Ahh deja vu

[qwerty4ever]

How's your brilliant, multi billion dollar, revolutionary communication technology doing?

Posted via CB10

The aluminium cans and string are proving to be problematic in high humidity conditions. Patent pending.

Posted via CB10 from the BlackBerry Z10

[kevinnugent]

Let me leave you with some of Mike's better quotes - for those of you who didn't live through the embarrassment years:

On new technologies: "Cameraphones will be rejected by corporate users." – Mike Lazaridis, 2003.

On mobile trends: "The most exciting mobile trend is full Qwerty keyboards. I'm sorry, it really is. I'm not making this up." Lazaridis, May 2008.

On the tablet market: "So the question you have to ask yourself is when it comes to tablet, what market or what opportunities, still, it's solving, what problem is it solving, and is it just a replacement laptop? I think that's a difficult one to judge." Lazaridis, April 2010.

And Thorsten Heins, who took over as chief executive in January, hasn't been immune either. "At the very core of RIM – at its DNA – is the innovation. We always think ahead. We always think forward. We sometimes think the unthinkable."

[imcurved]

Mike L returns as a CEO to lead the privatized BlackBerry is very highly possible. I think it's not a bad idea as long as he can surround himself with good people. All good leaders have their weaknesses however they work with capable professionals who can cover their weaknesses.

Post via CB Z10

[calicocat2010]

Let me leave you with some of Mike's better quotes - for those of you who didn't live through the embarrassment years:

On new technologies: "Cameraphones will be rejected by corporate users." � Mike Lazaridis, 2003.

On mobile trends: "The most exciting mobile trend is full Qwerty keyboards. I'm sorry, it really is. I'm not making this up." Lazaridis, May 2008.

On the tablet market: "So the question you have to ask yourself is when it comes to tablet, what market or what opportunities, still, it's solving, what problem is it solving, and is it just a replacement laptop? I think that's a difficult one to judge." Lazaridis, April 2010.

And Thorsten Heins, who took over as chief executive in January, hasn't been immune either. "At the very core of RIM � at its DNA � is the innovation. We always think ahead. We always think forward. We sometimes think the unthinkable."

Ouch. Not cool. No.This very well may be a Bad idea.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using CB Forums mobile app

[Bla1ze]

Let me leave you with some of Mike's better quotes - for those of you who didn't live through the embarrassment years:

On new technologies: "Cameraphones will be rejected by corporate users." – Mike Lazaridis, 2003.

On mobile trends: "The most exciting mobile trend is full Qwerty keyboards. I'm sorry, it really is. I'm not making this up." Lazaridis, May 2008.

On the tablet market: "So the question you have to ask yourself is when it comes to tablet, what market or what opportunities, still, it's solving, what problem is it solving, and is it just a replacement laptop? I think that's a difficult one to judge." Lazaridis, April 2010.

And Thorsten Heins, who took over as chief executive in January, hasn't been immune either. "At the very core of RIM – at its DNA – is the innovation. We always think ahead. We always think forward. We sometimes think the unthinkable."

I still think Mike L has a place. He just needs people willing to tell him when he's wrong and why he's wrong.

[Brutal Efficiency]

I still think Mike L has a place. He just needs people willing to tell him when he's wrong and why he's wrong.

Thank you!!!!

Remember when Steve Jobs ridiculed the 7 inch tablet for being an obsolete form factor.

Nek minnit - Jobs dies - nek minnit - iPad Mini - nek minnit - outselling 9.7 form factor.

My Tech-Fleet: Q10; Z10; PlayBook; Surface Pro; Xbox 360; HP TouchPad; iPod Touch 5

[ranzabar]

He had no vision of the market and crashed the airplane into the mountain once before. You want that again?

Posted via my BlackBerry Z10

[grunt0300]

Lazaridis was a visionary. He just needed some time to reflect.

Now that he has seen BlackBerry driven into the ground, he'll be back with a vengeance.

Right. He'll be back to drive it into the ground, again. Only this time, he'll get more money for his pension!

Also... he is doing Quantum Computing. I bloody well want to see Quantum Computing in my BlackBerry.

My Tech-Fleet: Q10; Z10; PlayBook; Surface Pro; Xbox 360; HP TouchPad; iPod Touch 5

[allisos]

I still think Mike L has a place. He just needs people willing to tell him when he's wrong and why he's wrong.

I think watching on the sidelines as other companies did what he wasn't willing to do should have humbled him. You don't get to run your own company without being competitive... and if he is competitive at all right now... He has to be searching for all of the ways he can get back in the game. But then again... he was always the "engineer" and the other guy was the public face. Maybe they need something like that again. (and this time just listen to the guy who knows how to make money)

[STV0726]

Lazaridis, I like that - though it's more like Lazaritis, a special type of contagious, incurable disease where a patient slowly becomes incapable to learn & develop new abilities, innovate, slowly degenerates and eventually dies due to being unable to feed her/himself.
Side effects are arrogant, highly opinionated yet barely relevant ramblings, often incoherent claims that have little or no relevance to reality.

I love this and sincerely, sadly to say, hope he does not return as a CEO/president/key leadership role.

-STV on Z10STL100-3/10.1.0.4780 TMO US

[bennelong]

In defense of Mike L.
He was correct to some degree (at the time) in predicting a corporate unease with camera phones, in that the successful Nokia 9500 Communicator (2004-ish?) was quickly followed up with the 9300 which was a similarly specced handset without a camera due to corporate concerns.
Also, I do think that in these current times, where corporations (and indeed entire countries) are looking for alternate data management systems, that BlackBerry stands a good chance of reclaiming their 'niche' ..albiet on another level.
That's all I know.. and all I have to add

Z10 via CB10

[Its Spade]

I've got no problem with Mike L. comes back. He always was the brains of the outfit.

As long as that egomanical psychopath Jim Balsillie keeps his distance, I don't really care much who else comes back.

Deddo

Member of Squircle of Trust!

[daveycrocket]

I hope he comes back as well as he, whatever anyone tries to say about vision is dedicated to BlackBerry. This will give stabilization to the company in that he also will want to keep his baby together and not sold of for organ parts.
It feels to me that those who wanted BB to compete with the likes of apple and Andriod have helped towards this position. The love of (mostly) useless Apps has also been a major influence.
I certainly don't need apps or any kudos of being exactly the same as everyone else. I need a great piece of technology which keeps me in secure contact with those I love and those in my business. I don't want to watch TV or play games I don't even do social networking apart from CB.
You all may say boring, I say I don't need to entertain myself in this virtual way.
And I hope if he does come back on board he gives me the quality and stability that BlackBerry once had.

[grunt0300]

I hope he comes back as well as he, whatever anyone tries to say about vision is dedicated to BlackBerry. This will give stabilization to the company in that he also will want to keep his baby together and not sold of for organ parts.
It feels to me that those who wanted BB to compete with the likes of apple and Andriod have helped towards this position. The love of (mostly) useless Apps has also been a major influence.
I certainly don't need apps or any kudos of being exactly the same as everyone else. I need a great piece of technology which keeps me in secure contact with those I love and those in my business. I don't want to watch TV or play games I don't even do social networking apart from CB.
You all may say boring, I say I don't need to entertain myself in this virtual way.
And I hope if he does come back on board he gives me the quality and stability that BlackBerry once had.

Well, i hope that you get what you wish for. The only part of BB that he is dedicated to...is their MONEY!!!

[daveycrocket]

Well, i hope that you get what you wish for. The only part of BB that he is dedicated to...is their MONEY!!!

I hope we all get what we need from this, I guess when we work we mainly do it for money and it helps if we have a base interest in what we do.