BlackBerry, Nokia and Palm have learned that competition is not sleeping - Wyborcza.biz

Before the advent of the first iPhone BlackBerry phones were on Wall Street as common as a suit and tie. Brokers and investment bankers glided between skyscrapers staring at the small screen-quite massive – at that time – phones. Their employers were delighted and we eagerly bought subordinates similar devices, because thanks to the constant access to e-mail offered by the BlackBerry could at any time of the day or night grant a new job.

Finally come to this, that he who would seriously look into the eyes customers and co-workers (not to mention the bosses), this simply had to use the BlackBerry. Then came the next stage – an iconic symbol of phones blackberries on the body have become a fashionable gadget, which began flaunting not only employees of the corporation, but even teenagers. This happens especially appreciated the opportunity to chat and web browsing.

Back in 2008, the BlackBerry phones in the U.S. market reached a record 11 percent.

Revolutionary Jobs

Probably one of the managers of thought that from now on will only get worse. The situation began to change soon after the Apple unveiled its own phone with a large touch screen, which is well suited for watching movies, playing games or browsing the web. He also had access to email and emerging new applications every now and then. In this way, Steve Jobs, the late Apple boss today, ended an era where the only phone to which it is worth to show a BlackBerry. It soon became apparent that the Canadian manufacturer of these devices began to struggle for survival.

However, the heads of RIM (BlackBerry just now) realized too late that your phone is no longer just a communication tool. Even though the most efficient. The following models of shyly introduced better support for multimedia and applications, but it was all too late and slow. Financial performance of the BlackBerry look bad. Since the device’s turned not only teens tempted by the full technological wonder s phones from Apple and Samsung, but even serious businessmen who increasingly want to be up multifunction. Late last year, the share of BlackBerry in the U.S. market accounted for only 1.6 percent.

Another last chance

It is not surprising that every now and then speculated that the producer gets worse selling phones is about to cease their production and sales of its technology radz?cemu someone better themselves in the new reality. Resulted in a slight improvement in this year’s introduction of a completely new, highly successful line phones. According to the latest quarterly report published at the end of June and for the period ending on June 1 that the company indeed has managed to increase sales by 13 percent mobile. compared to the data from the previous quarter, but profits still there. The Canadian company within three months, which according to the report, has sold 6.8 million smartphones, losing 67 million dollars.

directors of the firm finally admitted that what was said in the industry for a long time – that seek help out. This could mean either enter into a partnership with another large company, or sale of BlackBerry to someone in addition to about 5.5 bi llion dollars. (So ??roughly valued company) has a vision for the future of the group. Among the potential buyers is exchanged informally investment fund Silver Lake, and the Chinese company Lenovo, which is now the world’s largest PC maker. Its chief Yang Yuanqing in an interview with “Wall Street Journal” recently emphasized, however, that it can not as yet tell whether the company actually is interested in buying the BlackBerry. The future of the Canadian company is therefore still uncertain.

BlackBerry and Palm?

Her bosses have nothing to fear. Recent years have provided a sufficient number of examples of high-end mobile manufacturers who do not hold out market competition. One of them was – forgotten today – an American company Palm, whose models were visually quite similar to the BlackBerry. Similarities can indeed indicate more.

Another mobile company in the past two decades were so popular that the word “Palm” has become a colloquial definition of a small, portable computer. However, the Palm slept moment in which the target group had to be added. One of the reasons why he could not stay on the market, it was directing its products almost exclusively to the business community. Just three years ago, “New York Times” wrote that the company Palm smartphone market pushed the two dominant manufacturers – Apple and RIM. Finally, in April 2010, the company bought Palm Hewlett-Packard for $ 1.2 billion. It was then the world’s lar gest computer maker. Just like today, Lenovo.

guests from Europe

To identify examples of phone manufacturers who have not sensed in a timely fashion on smart phones, you do not have to look far. During one of the technology conferences in the United States have led to welcome the audience asking who uses iPhone. Up lifted a few hands. Taking thanked him and asked if the audience are users of Android phones. Again, many participants have signed up. Just like the question about the BlackBerry. Finally, he asked if Nokia users are present. When he saw the top of only a few hands, he said with a significant smile, “Welcome visitors from Europe.”

This anecdote well reflects the situation in which she found a Finnish Nokia. The models 3210 and 3310 were among the most popular not only in Poland, but today is a distant memory. The company has long been forced to look for an idea for you. Railways quarterly reports listed former hegemonic talking about multi-million dollar losses. Does nothing helped here abandon their own, qu ite primitive, the Symbian operating system and entering into a strategic partnership with Microsoft, whose Windows Phone, you can find the latest Nokia phones. Finns still lose. Data from PC World that phones with Windows Phone in the United States account for only 5.6 percent. Sales of all smartphones, ranking far behind iOS devices and Android.

Over the past two years working in the company lost about 20 thousand. people. As the Bloomberg News, the main reason is the growing competition from other manufacturers – especially Sweden’s Ericsson and China’s Huawei. In April, the company saved the issue of five-and seven-year bonds with a total value of approximately EUR 800 million. However, its market position is weakening – Standard & Poor’s lowered its rating to a “junk”. Over the downgrading of the company from Finland also wonders Moody’s.