RIM banks on 80M 'very loyal' Blackberry customers for comeback

Despite its woes, beleaguered BlackBerry smartphone maker Research In Motion is counting on at least two positive things: its upcoming phones, and its “very loyal” customers.

 

RIM CEO Thorsten Heins told tech site CNET two BlackBerry 10 phones are still in the works despite a delayed first-quarter launch, while 80 million customers have so far kept the faith.

 

“Other handset vendors don’t have a services play, and we’re in a different situation. I’m not starting at zero,” he said.

 

He was referring to the services, security, and access to RIM’s global data network that some 80 million BlackBerry customers use and pay a monthly fee for.

 

RIM is reeling from a quarterly loss, and faces possible further losses ahead, prompting many to question its ability to continue.

 

Yet, he maintained RIM was addressing its issues and doing what is needed, including getting a new executive team and focusing on the development of the BlackBerry 10 platform.

 

“I’m confident we have something special and exciting that lives on its merit,” Heins said.

 

Delayed launch

 

Heins said delayed launch of BlackBerry 10 – likely to the first quarter of 2013 – may even benefit RIM, since BlackBerry 10 could get a more focused promotional push as one of the few products in the first quarter.

 

Even if the last quarter is considered crucial because it is the holiday season, it is also crowded with many flagship phones.

 

“Carriers really do strong launches in the first quarter,” he added.

 

Also, Heins said RIM earned much goodwill with the carriers by being forthright about the product delay – although a delay could also allow Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android to extend their leads over RIM.

 

Keyboard comeback

 

Heins also confirmed RIM will follow up its initial touch-screen BlackBerry with one with a physical keyboard, the keyboard being BlackBerry’s most notable feature. “Our customer base is very loyal,” he said.

 

Healthy growth

 

CNET said RIM is still showing healthy growth globally, particularly in emerging markets where entry-level BlackBerrys remain popular.

 

Heins said there is a chance to upgrade customers to the latest BlackBerry 7 devices, which he said are competitive with products in the market.

 

Also, he downplayed Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform, saying Microsoft is overwhelming its customer base with the different versions of Windows Phone.

 

Windows Phone 7 and 7.5 are not compatible with Windows Phone 8, which in turn is more tightly integrated with the upcoming Windows 8 desktop and tablet operating system.

 

On the other hand, he thumbed down suggestions to move to Google’s Android, noting many of its vendor partners aside from Samsung are now struggling. — TJD, GMA News