[Ronindan]

I know it's unconventional, but I was wondering whether, if those who want BB10 paid an annual subscription price to support the OS, could that reasonably generate enough revenue to make it self-sustaining and support its ongoing development--almost like paying for a domain. I'm not sure how much the annual subscription price would have to be, but I'd easily pay between $25.00 to $50.00 annually, if it would result in me not having to give up the peek and flow of BB10 and move to something like Android or IOS.

Timothius

Once and a while a Crackberry member suggest that BB moved to a subscription based model. And at the same time this forums are full of posts of members complaining about spending $2-3 dollars for apps is too expensive for them.

[anon(679606)]

From a business standpoint, with a Android based OS, Blackberry could get any device manufacturer to make a device and flash their custom Android ROM to it and save a fortune in hardware development cost.
. I cannot believe
Being they have spent a lot on money on acquiring security and software related companies, I think the new focus is in software rather then hardware.

We have two weeks until the corporate numbers come out on April 1st and that should be a pretty dam good indication of what the Priv is doing as far as sales are concerned . Should get interesting from there, now it's wait and see.

They already mak'em in mexico... I can hear the mariachi band playing on calls piped through the dollar store glue from the maquiladora. I can't believe they don't license bb10 to a cheap Chinese maker to put up on alibaba or dx.com.. they could make hundreds of dollars!! Remember webOS now in TVs... bb10 soon to be in washer/driers??

Update: after reflection I have realized the CEO has no Chinese contacts...

Posted via CB10

[idssteve]

Myself, my companies and possibly other enterprises and security/privacy conscious professionals might consider a "security maintenance" subscription fee. Possibly along the lines of BIS subscription fees??

Lack of apps is one of BB10's security assets, IMO.
Classic's physical "call end" key provides improved assurance others aren't still listening after your attorney THOUGHT he "ended" the call, for example. What android device can replace that invaluable Classic attribute once security updates stop for BB10? For example.

A subscription fee to keep the thing secure might prove worthy, for some with such needs.

[Superfly_FR]

Using my lowest low-ball number of $10M/year for the most basic maintenance, you'd need 10,000 people willing to pay $100/year (probably up-front)

~ EQ a 1 year Silent Circle (BlackPhone2) Silent world subscription ...

P.S: just yo set some comparison, FTR. I'm done with "funny expectations" lol.
But for some (enterprises users), this won't be a high price for high secured device (SecuSmart+WatchDox included ?) ... "the niche in the niche" (several tens of thousands users, very likely). [oops, I did it again ...]

[Superfly_FR]

Lack of apps is one of BB10's security assets, IMO.

I'd say lack of large number of users = little interest for the hackers' community.

[anon(679606)]

I'd say lack of large number of users = little interest for the hackers' community.

I disagree inasmuch as BlackBerry touts tight security & an intrusion hacker who laid bare all of BlackBerry's alleged closed environment would make quite a name in that niche community...

[Superfly_FR]

Well, it's been a while they've tried ...
Take the mass money off, the "glory incentive" will not be enough.
That's a network team work, not a single "genius" exploit (even if you have to start from one's, of course)

P.S: I'm not sure what you mean by alleged in the "closed environment" (I read : Enterprise/BES) context. No allegation, only history !

[JeepBB]

I disagree inasmuch as BlackBerry touts tight security & an intrusion hacker who laid bare all of BlackBerry's alleged closed environment would make quite a name in that niche community...

While there are hackers in it for the glory, most are criminals in it for the money... and they target the platforms with the most users and potential profit. That isn't BB10!

It's for the same reason that Macs were historically virus-free.

[anon(679606)]

Maybe... but aren't high end hackers in it for the street creds lead-in to lucrative salaries or consultant fees?

[David Tyler]

Does anyone have an estimate of how much it would cost BlackBerry annually to continue the development of BB10?

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA.... Not laughing at you, OP, but in a CrackBerry forum, EVERYONE will "have an estimate." That's like walking into a sports bar in Montreal and asking what everyone thinks of Michel Therrien.

Facts, on the other hand, will be in short supply. Cheers, and for the record, I'd pay.

[JeepBB]

I don't have an estimate. I'll just echo what was said above - just look at Google, Microsoft and Apple - what do they spend on active development of their OS's?

I could waste my time searching through their R&D numbers in the annual accounts, but I won't. It's unnecessary for me to add those numbers to my post, as they will be of such a high monetary value that I am confident that in no possible reality can further BB10 development be funded as some kind of crowd-sourced project!

C'mon people!

I realise you don't want BB10 to die, but move on from "bargaining". You'll be happier when you do.

[Ronindan]

I don't have an estimate. I'll just echo what was said above - just look at Google, Microsoft and Apple - what do they spend on active development of their OS's?

I could waste my time searching through their R&D numbers in the annual accounts, but I won't. It's unnecessary for me to add those numbers to my post, as they will be of such a high monetary value that I am confident that in no possible reality can further BB10 development be funded as some kind of crowd-sourced project!

C'mon people!

I realise you don't want BB10 to die, but move on from "bargaining". You'll be happier when you do.

If I remember correctly - BB has one of the lowest funding for R&D among tech companies especially during the BBOS era.

[bb10adopter111]

Once and a while a Crackberry member suggest that BB moved to a subscription based model. And at the same time this forums are full of posts of members complaining about spending $2-3 dollars for apps is too expensive for them.

That's me 100%. I won't pay $0.01 for an app I don't need, but it will gladly pay $10-$20 a month for the essential apps I use every day to run my business and make money. I want Desktop communications on my phone, including connected storage, email, calendar, contacts, etc. I don't care about mobile apps because they don't make me money. If it was a social marketer, I'd get a different device.

Posted via CB10

[Ronindan]

That's me 100%. I won't pay $0.01 for an app I don't need, but it will gladly pay $10-$20 a month for the essential apps I use every day to run my business and make money. I want Desktop communications on my phone, including connected storage, email, calendar, contacts, etc. I don't care about mobile apps because they don't make me money. If it was a social marketer, I'd get a different device.

Posted via CB10

Actually I am thinking it is going to be more than $100 dollars a month. If you factor in the costs of salaries, facilities, equipment, hardware and licensing fees that blackberry has to pay to support bb10. And of course it depends on the total number of subscriber as well. The smaller the number subscribers the higher the fees are going to be.

[Elephant_Canyon]

Maybe... but aren't high end hackers in it for the street creds lead-in to lucrative salaries or consultant fees?

That sounds like a myth.

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

What is clear, it cost more than Chen is willing to keep sinking into BB10.

They had planned to bring the BlackBerry experience to other platforms on a subscription bases. Not sure what happened... Either delayed or canceled.

[Ronindan]

That sounds like a myth.

or a hollywood movie ;-)

[bb10adopter111]

Actually I am thinking it is going to be more than $100 dollars a month. If you factor in the costs of salaries, facilities, equipment, hardware and licensing fees that blackberry has to pay to support bb10. And of course it depends on the total number of subscriber as well. The smaller the number subscribers the higher the fees are going to be.

I'm not saying it's a viable business, just that I wouldn't hesitate to pay $250 a year to keep using my three year old BB10 phone rather than "upgrade" to Android or iOS.

Posted via CB10

[DamianWarS]

Blackberry already has a subscription based security, it's called BES

[sid89]

I would also be happy to do that, if it included maintenance and improvement to the browser and core built-in apps, such as calendar, contacts, remember, etc. I don't care at all about the Android run time.

I just want a great work phone, with an exceptional Internet experience and file handling capabilities. Better native Microsoft integration, including sharepoint would be more valuable than FB and the other social apps.

Posted via CB10

I agree!! That would be a logical approach and a revenue generation model that would help blackberry.

Posted via CB10

[DrBoomBotz]

I agree!! That would be a logical approach and a revenue generation model that would help blackberry.

Posted via CB10

That would be a sunset endeavour from the start. Good luck getting people to relocate to KW for that bright future.

[Elephant_Canyon]

or a hollywood movie ;-)

Hack the planet!

[thurask]

If I remember correctly - BB has one of the lowest funding for R&D among tech companies especially during the BBOS era.

Explains a lot.

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

Explains a lot.

I agree... that BB10 wasn't started until 2010, speaks volumes about how "innovative" the old BlackBerry was.

[Timothius01]

In the minds of some, it seems unfair to have to pay even $2.00 or $3.00 for an app that costs $0.00 on other platforms. But, for example, when faced with having no Facebook app or paying for Nemory's Face10 app, many people opted to willingly paying for Face10.

Likewise, if faced with the choice of paying an amount each year to stay with BB10 or having to say goodbye to BB10 and jump to a different platform, I think many BB10 lovers would willingly pay to stay with BB10. Again, I know I would pay a reasonable amount.

#I<3BB10