difenbaker
01-29-2008, 06:13 AM
RIM jazzes up BlackBerry for broader appeal
Mon Jan 28, 2008 8:45am EST
By Wojtek Dabrowski
TORONTO (Reuters) - Research In Motion (RIM.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) (RIMM.O: Quote, Profile, Research) has leapt into the retail consumer market with products such as its pink BlackBerry Pearl, a candy bar-shaped e-mail phone stuffed with multimedia goodies, exposing itself to shoppers' fickle tastes and competition from Apple's (AAPL.O: Quote, Profile, Research) iPhone.
Its devices now include more "lifestyle" features like television, music players, cameras and Facebook social-networking software for broad appeal.
"I think the whole social networking phenomenon is quite substantial," RIM's co-Chief Executive, Jim Balsillie, told Reuters in an interview.
His comment highlights a big shift for the Canadian company, which first made its name supplying blocky handsets that executives, lawyers and politicians used to send secure e-mails to their offices and clients.
The departure from that mainstay has produced strong early results, as RIM added BlackBerry subscribers at a rapid clip and posted profits that consistently beat analysts' expectations.
more here:
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSN2562745320080128?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0&sp=true
cheers!
Mon Jan 28, 2008 8:45am EST
By Wojtek Dabrowski
TORONTO (Reuters) - Research In Motion (RIM.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) (RIMM.O: Quote, Profile, Research) has leapt into the retail consumer market with products such as its pink BlackBerry Pearl, a candy bar-shaped e-mail phone stuffed with multimedia goodies, exposing itself to shoppers' fickle tastes and competition from Apple's (AAPL.O: Quote, Profile, Research) iPhone.
Its devices now include more "lifestyle" features like television, music players, cameras and Facebook social-networking software for broad appeal.
"I think the whole social networking phenomenon is quite substantial," RIM's co-Chief Executive, Jim Balsillie, told Reuters in an interview.
His comment highlights a big shift for the Canadian company, which first made its name supplying blocky handsets that executives, lawyers and politicians used to send secure e-mails to their offices and clients.
The departure from that mainstay has produced strong early results, as RIM added BlackBerry subscribers at a rapid clip and posted profits that consistently beat analysts' expectations.
more here:
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSN2562745320080128?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0&sp=true
cheers!