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RIM Myths

by Mark Evans on Mon 30 Jan 2006 09:27 PM EST | Permanent Link

You want an example of something-to-be-desired business reporting? According to Reuters, Research in Motion's rivals are "muscling into the wireless e-mail market" as RIM grapples with its legal battle with NTP. The story cites Clyde Foster, chief operating officer with RIM rival Intellisync, who claims there are growing alternatives to the Blackberry. Other sources in the story are executives from Visto and Good Technology, which also happen to be rivals of RIM. The hole in the story is there's nothing concrete to suggest Blackberry users are fleeing to these alternatives or that new mobile e-mail users are gravitating to Good, Visto or Intellisync. There are no statistics to suggest this is happening. If RIM reports in March that its subscriber growth in the fiscal fourth-quarter plummeted due to its legal woes, then I'll believe the "alternative" story. Until then, it's just idle speculation fueled by rivals looking to get a foothold in the market.

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Re: RIM Myths

by Mathew on Mon 30 Jan 2006 11:52 PM EST | Profile | Permanent Link

a fair point, mark -- but hasn't rim itself scaled back subscriber growth estimates at least a couple of times now? presumably some of that expected growth might not be happening because people are going elsewhere...

Re: RIM Myths

by Jim Courtney on Fri 03 Feb 2006 01:08 AM EST | Profile | Permanent Link

I'll start worrying when the rivals cut into RIM's Blackberry Enterprise Server installations; these provide embedded sustainability for RIM. Unit sales and installations of this offering is another number you want to track when considering the competition.

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