RIM’s BlackBerry platform has been taking a beating in 2010, losing market share to Apple iOS and Google Android. While RIM hoped to change its fortunes with the BlackBerry Torch, the phone is technically unimpressive and the software is still archaic. It looks like the BlackBerry bashing will continue, with corporations like Dell, Bank of America, and Citibank looking to leave the platform.
Right now, Dell is the only company that’s confirmed to be abandoning BlackBerry. According to The Wall Street Journal, Dell is offering its employees Dell Venue Pro phones (Windows Phone 7) to replace their BlackBerry handsets. According to the paper, “The switch begins next week and will save the company about 25% in mobile communication costs.” The cost savings would come from not having to run BlackBerry Enterprise servers.
The Dell move isn’t surprising considering that the company now competes with RIM, offering a variety of Android and Windows Phone 7 handsets. What’s more alarming for RIM is Bloomberg’s report that Bank of America and Citigroup (Citibank) are considering dropping the BlackBerry platform in favor of Apple iOS. Those are two of the biggest banks in America with almost 600,000 employees between them.
If Bank of America and Citigroup join Dell in abandoning the BlackBerry platform then that’s nearly one-million customers lost. Until RIM makes significant improvements to its crusty software, I don’t see things changing for the company. Perhaps I should have called this article “BlackBerry Torched”. *snicker*
