8/13/2019 BlackBerry Confirms Niche Status With Keyboard Focused
Smartphones in 2014
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Black-berry Confirms Niche Status With Keyboard Focused
Smartphones in 201
!s 201" opened# BlackBerry $as ready to take on the $orld $ith a
ne$ operatin% system#
a ne$ touch-screen based &S# and a ran%e of smartphones that
$ould appeal to e'ery
market se%ment( )nfortunately for the smartphone manufacturer#
201" didn*t %o accordin%
to plan# and BlackBerry has stumbled into 201( But $ith a
rene$ed focus# a ne$ C+ and
a realistic look at the market# BlackBerry could ha'e a
healthier 201(
&ne thin% that %i'es BlackBerry hope is their ne$ focus and
direction( C+& ,ohn Chen
indicated that the maority of BlackBerry*s smartphones in the
future $ill ha'e physical
keyboards(
Focusin% on BlackBerry*s historical stren%th is a smart decision
for Chen( BlackBerry*ssmartphone focus durin% 201" looked to co'er
as many bases as possible# and $ith the BB10
&S makin% its first smartphone appearance in the all-touch
BlackBerry .10 the marketin%
messa%e become confused( /he .10 $as a ne$ paradi%m for a
touch-screen de'ice# it
stru%%led to build a si%nificant !pp Store# !ndroid support $as
present but not oo%le lay#
and BlackBerry*s loyal fan-base $aited for the keyboard based
10(
8/13/2019 BlackBerry Confirms Niche Status With Keyboard Focused
Smartphones in 2014
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/he .10 didn*t sell and BlackBerry*s shot at bein% one of 3/he
Bi% /hree* slipped a$ay(
/hat*s not to say that BlackBerry $as finished# but neither $as
the future clear( /akin% stock
of the situation and bein% realistic on $hat BlackBerry could
deli'er to the market 4and ho$
the market $ould react5 $as 'ital( !fter the sale of BlackBerry
to a pri'ate consortium fellthrou%h# the Board re%rouped on
strate%y and asked ,ohn Chen to take the C+& role as an
interim measure(
/hat role has# 6uietly# been made permanent# and Chen*s decision
to 3%o $ith the keyboard*
is probably the smartest thin% to do( Not only does it %i'e a
clear direction 4and a uni6ue
sellin% point5# it is realistic about BlackBerry*s place in the
market( With the best $ill in the
$orld# the Canadian company is not %oin% to fli%ht the !ndroid
and i&S installed base(
/heir competition is 7icrosoft*s Windo$s hone 8( 9 don*t see
BlackBerry*s limited reser'es
bein% able to stand up to 7icrosoft and $hate'er in-house from
the Nokia :umia team
takes( BlackBerry in 201 by their 'ery definition are %oin% to
be niche players and if theycan finish the year $ith a ;< market
share in their core territories
!ckno$led%in% that they are and $ill remain a niche play $ill
play to BlackBerry*s
stren%ths(
! physical keyboard on a smartphone is not somethin% the
mainstream market is lookin%
for# but there are communities $here such as de'ice is seen as
3a really neat idea(*
BlackBerry can market the ne$ de'ices directly to them and not
$orry about comparisons
to the latest Samsun% ala=y or !pple ihone> they can focus on
their +nterprise links and
%ood standin% as a supplier to %o'ernment a%encies 4especially
in the )S5> and by partnerin%$ith Fo=conn to outsource the
manufacturin% and desi%n elements of their handsets they can
maintain competency in modern handset desi%n $ithout ha'in% to
finance a lar%e hard$are
office inside the company(
/he %oals for BlackBerry in 201 are clear? !im for a fi'e
percent market share# focus on
keyboard based smartphones# look to corporate sales for income(
!nd make sure all of this is
to shareholders and supporters( 9t mi%ht not be the future that
BlackBerry fans hoped for as
201" da$ned# but it is a future(
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