The Future of RIM - Page 3 - Canadian TV, Computing and Home Theatre Forums

Simonizer · 2012-04-02, 04:25 PM

Building 23 has had its sign removed and seems vacant, as well as another building right by the university had its sign removed. Is this an indication of the future for RIM?

99semaj · 2012-05-30, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 99semaj

When it gets down to $49 I'll pick one up to try and help me stomach OS7 on the Bold 9900.

Looks like I might have my chance shortly....Bloomberg is reporting that RIM is sitting on over a billion dollars of unsold phones and Playbooks which accounting rules will require them to blow out again. Given that they are exploring an end-game for the company, they will be even more aggressive in converting the boat anchors into cash.

okmrbh · 2012-05-30, 05:36 PM

Koodo has a good deal on Blackberry phones ending tomorrow $50 off price + $50 visa gift card and 3 months of Blackberry lite data (100 meg) totaling $145 in savings. I was thinking of getting a Curve 9360 to go with my Playbook (Excellent combination for my needs) but maybe I should hold off for a bigger sale to come?

shabbs · 2012-05-30, 08:50 PM

It's important to note that RIM hired JP Morgan after their year end results were released, this was when Heins took over. This is not something recent.

TorontoColin · 2012-05-31, 01:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 99semaj

Given that they are exploring an end-game for the company

I think that's being a bit over-dramatic. Selling the company in pieces is one possibility, but only one of many, and I doubt they're willing to go that far just yet.

BGY11 · 2012-05-31, 04:06 AM

To me, this doesn't seen unexpected. Until BB10 phones come out, there isn't much positive news that is going to come out of RIM. Despite all the "doom and gloom" stories being posted, the company can survive long enough to get BB10 devices out (assuming they are still aiming for a Fall 2012 schedule). Yes, investors are leery (as they have a right to be), but saying that RIM is looking for an end-game solution is not quite true. If BB10 flops, then they'll definitely be in trouble.

I still have faith in that BB10 will help alleviate some of the burden RIM is dealing with now. Of course, they are in a situation where potential consumers for BlackBerrys are hesitant to purchase now because they know BB10 is just around the corner. I don't think there's much they can do in the short-term to ease investors' concerns, and until we have an actual launch date for BB10, we aren't likely to see a lot of positive news about the company.

99semaj · 2012-05-31, 08:33 AM

Oh , but you're thinking like a customer and not like an executive of a publicly traded company. The reality is that they owe investors billions of dollars of squandered value and they have to make good on it. Sadly, the new operating system is 99% a me-too product. This means that they will not gain share, they will only be able to maintain what little share they have left.

Whether we like it or not, this is the way it works. These are truly the end days for a once great company.

rsambuca · 2012-05-31, 10:12 AM

To me it is absolutely shocking how slowly this Board is moving. I agree that RIM as we know it is dead in the water. It will be split up into handsets and software/BBM stuff.

tandem · 2012-05-31, 11:11 AM

RIM was a stock I would short more than most Canadian firms because for years I've felt this end was inevitable with the advent of other smart phones and reliable email delivery to smart phone devices using commodity email services - thus taking away much of RIM's differentiation. The idea was right; sometimes my execution on this wasn't so good.

For a long while I've thought they should have adopted Android and ported their RIM specific stuff to that platform. Maybe then they could have partnered with or been bought by Google rather than Motorola's phone division.

99semaj · 2012-05-31, 11:27 AM

Tandem, you are spot on. They should have recognized that operating systems are not their core competency, and should have adopted a buy versus make strategy. That would've enabled them to have built on and protected their core differentiation, that being backend integration and corporate communications.

Instead, they blew their brains out trying to do everything and now they don't have enough cash to protect their base. At the end of the day, it comes down to arrogance and inability to execute. The board of directors and senior leadership was incompetent to not recognize this sooner, and the governance structure was completely unable to stop it.

I hate to see a Canadian success story go down in flames, but this company deserves to die painfully.

okmrbh · 2012-05-31, 04:45 PM

Quote:

I hate to see a Canadian success story go down in flames, but this company deserves to die painfully.

That's a little harsh don't you think? I'd save the slow painful death watch to cigarette companies and arms dealers myself...

99semaj · 2012-06-01, 12:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by okmrbh

That's a little harsh don't you think? I'd save the slow painful death watch to cigarette companies and arms dealers myself...

Well, as someone licensed under the US International Traffickers of Arms Regulations (aerospace), I hold arms dealers in somewhat higher esteem than those that squander billions of dollars belonging to share owners.

NeilN · 2012-06-01, 09:18 AM

They screwed up their execution but how did they "bilk investors of billions"?

shabbs · 2012-06-01, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NeilN

They screwed up their execution but how did they "bilk investors of billions"?

I have a feeling his answer involves their stock price and the SEC.

99semaj · 2012-06-01, 11:05 AM

Improved the wording by saying squandered instead of bilked.

It's more than just a failure to execute IMHO...I could respect it if they tried something brave and failed, but there seems to be a huge measure of ego and arrogance in this case, compounded with a governance structure unable to stop it.

2012-05-30, 08:50 PM	#34
shabbs Veteran Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Toronto, Rogers Cable, Cisco 8642HD PVR Posts: 2,216	It's important to note that RIM hired JP Morgan after their year end results were released, this was when Heins took over. This is not something recent. __________________ Sharp AQUOS Quattron LC-70LE732U + 8642HD \| Panasonic TC-P42U1 1080p plasma + 4642HD \| BlackBerry Z10 / PlayBook

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2012-04-02, 04:25 PM	#31
Simonizer Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 308	Building 23 has had its sign removed and seems vacant, as well as another building right by the university had its sign removed. Is this an indication of the future for RIM?

2012-05-30, 05:36 PM	#33
okmrbh Join Date: May 2007 Location: GTA Posts: 87	Koodo has a good deal on Blackberry phones ending tomorrow $50 off price + $50 visa gift card and 3 months of Blackberry lite data (100 meg) totaling $145 in savings. I was thinking of getting a Curve 9360 to go with my Playbook (Excellent combination for my needs) but maybe I should hold off for a bigger sale to come?

2012-05-31, 04:06 AM	#36
BGY11 Veteran Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Calgary AB Posts: 3,181	To me, this doesn't seen unexpected. Until BB10 phones come out, there isn't much positive news that is going to come out of RIM. Despite all the "doom and gloom" stories being posted, the company can survive long enough to get BB10 devices out (assuming they are still aiming for a Fall 2012 schedule). Yes, investors are leery (as they have a right to be), but saying that RIM is looking for an end-game solution is not quite true. If BB10 flops, then they'll definitely be in trouble. I still have faith in that BB10 will help alleviate some of the burden RIM is dealing with now. Of course, they are in a situation where potential consumers for BlackBerrys are hesitant to purchase now because they know BB10 is just around the corner. I don't think there's much they can do in the short-term to ease investors' concerns, and until we have an actual launch date for BB10, we aren't likely to see a lot of positive news about the company.

2012-05-31, 08:33 AM	#37
99semaj Veteran Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: /dev/null Posts: 2,685	Oh , but you're thinking like a customer and not like an executive of a publicly traded company. The reality is that they owe investors billions of dollars of squandered value and they have to make good on it. Sadly, the new operating system is 99% a me-too product. This means that they will not gain share, they will only be able to maintain what little share they have left. Whether we like it or not, this is the way it works. These are truly the end days for a once great company.

2012-05-31, 10:12 AM	#38
rsambuca Veteran Join Date: May 2006 Location: Calgary Posts: 1,635	To me it is absolutely shocking how slowly this Board is moving. I agree that RIM as we know it is dead in the water. It will be split up into handsets and software/BBM stuff.

2012-05-31, 11:11 AM	#39
tandem Join Date: May 2012 Location: Vancouver Posts: 101	RIM was a stock I would short more than most Canadian firms because for years I've felt this end was inevitable with the advent of other smart phones and reliable email delivery to smart phone devices using commodity email services - thus taking away much of RIM's differentiation. The idea was right; sometimes my execution on this wasn't so good. For a long while I've thought they should have adopted Android and ported their RIM specific stuff to that platform. Maybe then they could have partnered with or been bought by Google rather than Motorola's phone division.

2012-05-31, 11:27 AM	#40
99semaj Veteran Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: /dev/null Posts: 2,685	Tandem, you are spot on. They should have recognized that operating systems are not their core competency, and should have adopted a buy versus make strategy. That would've enabled them to have built on and protected their core differentiation, that being backend integration and corporate communications. Instead, they blew their brains out trying to do everything and now they don't have enough cash to protect their base. At the end of the day, it comes down to arrogance and inability to execute. The board of directors and senior leadership was incompetent to not recognize this sooner, and the governance structure was completely unable to stop it. I hate to see a Canadian success story go down in flames, but this company deserves to die painfully.

2012-06-01, 09:18 AM	#43
NeilN Veteran Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: North York Posts: 1,630	They screwed up their execution but how did they "bilk investors of billions"?

2012-06-01, 11:05 AM	#45
99semaj Veteran Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: /dev/null Posts: 2,685	Improved the wording by saying squandered instead of bilked. It's more than just a failure to execute IMHO...I could respect it if they tried something brave and failed, but there seems to be a huge measure of ego and arrogance in this case, compounded with a governance structure unable to stop it.