I don’t know about you guys, but reading this has scared the living daylights out of this IT admin….
I know this is my blog, but I’d like to ask for your thoughts on the topic. Rumors are swirling that Microsoft may buy Research In Motion, RIM, maker of the Blackberry. Personally I think this is a bad idea on a lot of levels. It’s the classic situation of an answer looking for a problem. With Exchange 2007 and Windows Mobile 6, Microsoft basically gives away for free everything RIM charges for with a BES server and services. You can argue you like/don’t like Windows Mobile, but that wouldn’t change with an acquisition of RIM. The only benefit I see to this deal is Microsoft speeding up the inevitable, the death and assimilation of the blackberry nation. In the words of Linda Richman and Coffee Talk, “Talk amongst yourselves”. -Alex
From this link
This better not happen. If it does, you know damned well that MS will destroy the Blackberry and everything that is good about it, and better than any other handheld for business at this point.
I’ve said it before, and I will say it again…I have no love for Microsoft. They do not provide innovation at all and rather than compete, they out litigate and out finance the competition.
So the facts remain that their push email capability that is tied in with Exchange is not good enough to compete with the Blackberry product which simply got it right from the get go…..so what do you do??? Build a better mouse trap?
Not if you’re MS….you buy them and crush them.
There will be MAJOR backlash if they try to buy and squash the Blackberry and I think that I would probably discontinue use of the Blackberry @ my shop on the principle that MS would own it knowing that the end is inevitable and that security and reliability will be at best secondary.
–The Not So Happy Slothman
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I would have to agree with Slothman, Microsoft, Ironically, seems to hang off other companies’ coat tails. where as 10 years ago, everyone wanted to jump on the Microsoft Bandwagon. this is what’s called, on the streets of New York, PLAYED OUT!
I think MS is gunning for RIM but I dont think they would change it up… the biz plan is solid just assimilate them change their name and keep it moving.
the wouldnt fuck with a good thing… would they?
this speculation has been around for a little while now and just seems to get stronger. how are stock prices looking?
Karl Said: he wouldnt fuck with a good thing… would they?
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Here’s how it plays out…currently MS offers Push via Exchange and Winblows Mobile for free on devices to try and entice people to use their products over the superior RIM/Blackberry/BES model.
Buy it, and then they own the superior model, but they cannot profit off it from their other line of business applications that integrate with Mobile.
So they slowly kill it by not innovating it and then surprisingly you’ll find that their push from Exchange will be an add on….and well we know how this works from here don’t we.
It is the same thing that happened when the auto MFGs took over the trolley car operations in the big cities and then slowly dismantled them to force people to buy cars!
It’s old hat….
can i vote against it i own rim stock?
Sloth lets just hope it doesn’t play out like that! Blackberry has become a household name could M$ destroy it in one fell swoop?
on another note have you gotten the shinny iPhone to work with exchange yet?
Karl: Been procrastinating, but my proof of concept of the tools I need will work.
Now that the prices have come down…I just might get one next week!
dont try to play me out. this scares me as well want to start a petition stock holder, slothman, karl, or commodore?
Update:
I have a friend of mine who works for RIM. I cannot say who he is, but he’s middle management there and I wont say in what department either, but this was his opinion:
My opinion, and this is just my opinion – I have no inside knowledge of anything – is that Mike and Jim would rather die than sell the company, and would rather be eaten by ravenous wolves than sell to M$ especially. Honestly, I can’t imagine it happening.
Take it for what it is worth….but that comes from a RIM insider.
My reply to him was as follows:
You guys are publicly traded…it is possible as a hostile take over…which would support the theory that MS would just destroy it and gut it.
sloth – that is some great investigative reporting worthy of either its iwn arty or at the very least an addon to this one!!
again AWESOME find! you are the man.
I’ve got friends in very low places! ;-)
…There is nothing good about blackberry. GO MS!!