OMG, this is such an unbelievable wrong idea. The only one that it would help is Android, and it would hurt Apple. But RIM would risk losing a lot too in the long-run.
Look at what happened with the PC market. Compaq? Gateway? Even Dell and HP, the biggest two are earning very little from their computer division (well, relatively little). The two winners in the PC market have been Windows and Intel.
So now we have RIM. They move to Android, and lose the exclusivity of their OS. Is their hardware division so strong and their product so flawless that they will be able to compete with Samsung, Motorola or HTC?
The way I see it Samsung has still a few aces from its very strong screen division, and others (don't they also produce flash?). HTC also could win: they started from almost 0, a cut-throad market can only do them good.
But the others? They all have access to the same processors, screens, batteries, and OS. Even now (and we have just started) a new phone enjoys a few months in the sunlight before being subclassed by a new model. In the long term they will only be able to compete by adding more recent hardware (but everyone can do that) and price.
Is this really were RIM wants to be in the future?
Technically moving to Android doesn't mean RIM has to give up much exclusivity. (Almost) No one likes the RIM OS, they like the RIM messaging and e-mail apps (with the related back end services). There is nothing stopping RIM porting those to Android and still keeping them exclusive. This way if you want to use the blackberry apps you still have to buy a blackberry and RIM gets to use a much better OS with a much bigger app ecosystem and free up some OS developers. Looks like a bunch of upsides to me.
I'm personally not very confident in RIM's hardware or product design skills. So on the hardware front, RIM wouldn't be a competitor.
So, if we ignore RIM's role as a hardware manufacturer. If they were to adopt Android, they'd essentially be reduced to a service provider: BIS/BES. There's no way I'd settle for that if I was RIM.
Would it even be feasible to integrate BIS/BES security features and what into android?
>Look at what happened with the PC market. Compaq? Gateway? Even Dell and HP, the biggest two are earning very little from their computer division (well, relatively little). The two winners in the PC market have been Windows and Intel.
Your analogy suffers from a strong survivorship bias.
If you were paying attention to the computer market in the 80s, there were countless companies with their own take on computers. The overwhelming number of them disappeared, while a very few (like Dell) managed to hang their fortunes on the winning side (PC-ish, Windows) and saw the dollars pour in.
The more I think about your analogy, the more I realize that the example you gave is an exact counterpoint to your given conclusion.
And really, you claim that Dell and HP make relatively little from their computer divisions? They are both global companies, having profited to the tune of many billions, on the backs of that effort.
RIM cannot continue on their current arc. They will be dead in a matter of years. It is absolutely, positively guaranteed.
In any case, one thing about Android is that in no way do vendors lose exclusivity...that's a part of the platform. I know tech people hate HTC Sense, but you know a lot of end-users actually love it. The same for Moto Blur and the other differentiations. We are not a good study in the utility of such differentiators. RIM would have the full ability to completely customize Android to be a very unique, very powerful experience.
Sure. But your view is a bit pessimistic. I would like to think that the management at RIM think they've got something unique that will give them an edge. Maybe it's more risky but if you believe in your company that's a risk you should take.
And RIM is not exactly a nobody: they've got a large chunk of the market. Your point is basically: "Forget your past glory, give up your profit margins, and join the Android crowd". Why not instead: "Improve your OS to be on par with the competition (no need to be better), and use your good hardware and your proprietary applications to make the difference".
I don't see how using Android is a long term viable strategy for a company that currently has 17% of the market. It looks more like throwing the towel.
Look at what happened with the PC market. Compaq? Gateway? Even Dell and HP, the biggest two are earning very little from their computer division (well, relatively little). The two winners in the PC market have been Windows and Intel.
So now we have RIM. They move to Android, and lose the exclusivity of their OS. Is their hardware division so strong and their product so flawless that they will be able to compete with Samsung, Motorola or HTC?
The way I see it Samsung has still a few aces from its very strong screen division, and others (don't they also produce flash?). HTC also could win: they started from almost 0, a cut-throad market can only do them good.
But the others? They all have access to the same processors, screens, batteries, and OS. Even now (and we have just started) a new phone enjoys a few months in the sunlight before being subclassed by a new model. In the long term they will only be able to compete by adding more recent hardware (but everyone can do that) and price.
Is this really were RIM wants to be in the future?