Canada’s Research In Motion, in Aug 3, announced three new models of its popular Blackberry product line. They include a touchscreen version of the Blackberry Bold. Yet, it has not helped its stock. Ok, it is not RIM‘s stock that is bleeding. Most companies are down owing to the US S&P downgrade and the general sovereign debt issues in Europe. But RIM has to answer more questions than most of its peers.
The challenge is this: investors are asking if RIM as a company has the capacity and innovation capability to keep pace with Apple and Android devices. The news of the new products did not stop the stock slide which has taken half of the market value this year.
RIM is sure to have sales drop this year, the first every in nine years and has already cut 2,000 jobs. But what is coming in September is what would keep the co-CEOs awake at night: the launch of a new version of iPhone. If they do not prepare well for that, they can as well sell RIM to the highest bidder. That is their last chance before either Microsoft or even Google acquires RIM.
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