For those of you that read RIMarkable on a regular basis you know that I am a die-hard BlackBerry fanatic, but, I have to admit that I am a bit worried about Research in Motion. Today marks the day that in many ways, may change the way that we think about wireless email. Today wireless email and BlackBerry are synonymous. Today is also the day that Microsoft releases it’s pre-beta of Exchange 2003 Service Pack 2 which brings wireless email to all Exchange 2003 users with a Windows Mobile 5.0 PDA.
I am worried because because all of the BlackBerry Killers up until today, quite honestly have been laughable. Either the technology was not on par with what RIM offers, the device makers couldn’t agree on a way to make their units talk to backend mail systems, or the companies offering backend systems were too small to make a dent in RIM’s market share in the industry. I am worried about Research in Motion because Microsoft really only has one of these problems. Microsoft’s technology is not on par with RIM’s.
Unfortunately for RIM, Microsoft has in their arsenal the two most powerful weapons against inferior technology. They have used these weapons time and time again when they wanted to enter an industry that they intend to dominate with an inferior product. These two secret weapons are “Free” and “Time”. A most deadly combination when used properly and Microsoft has mastered the art of offering inferior products for free and over time improving them enough to make most forget about the tool that was better to begin with. How many of you still use Netscape? Probably a few, but a small few, like a few trees in my back yard as compared to all the trees in the world.
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In reponse to jon’s comments I am not worried that Microsoft is going to take RIM out. I also know that many if not most current BlackBerry users would not switch. My concern is, howerver, that the wireless email market will grow much larger than the 3 million users RIM currently has and that Microsoft will be very effective in marketing to and gaining net new subscribers.
RIM was the first to market with this type of technology but Apple was the fist to market with a really good personal computer. What really worries me is that RIM’s BlackBerry Connect, a program that allows you to connect to a BES from hardware other than BlackBerries, hasn’t taken off.
The reason BlackBerry Connect hasn’t taken off is because it isn’t even supposed to be out in the United States. It still isn’t – to use it you have to steal software from T-Mobile Austria for crying out loud.
In Europe there are a dozen push-email solutions already available – and to be honest Europeans use email differently.
what the phuck do U expect…of course their stock is going down with new Symbian and MS technology being introduced with e-mail technology. It may not be true Push e-mail but the average corporate idiot can’t tell the difference between pull vs. push e-mail. Moreover, they just antied up $613 million because they got scared over a BS patent claim (which I completely disagree with). But the fact remains, they took a chickenshit approach to settle the claim instead of fighting it…does this convey confidence in them or their executives? are you willing to take that leap? It’s time for BB users to grow up and realize RIM has been no less propietary than Microsoft and Apple and stop crying because others want a piece of the pie. Think I’m full of BS…take a look at articles discussing future BB handhelds with MMS or the number of non-RIM OEM handhelds being introduced in 2006 that support BB Connect. Clearly RIM understands the necessity to redefine itself…do Crackberry users understand?