BB - BlackBerry

[Guest wellmont]

former ceo no longer owns a share of bbry after last reporting 5% ownership.

[portfolio14]

http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/763212/000110465913010740/a13-5049_31sc13ga.htm

[Guest valueInv]

Check out the end of the article:

 

http://techcrunch.com/2013/02/14/another-blow-for-blackberry-as-new-zealand-cops-pick-ios-devices/

[txlaw]

The competition continues to be fierce:

 

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/02/new-htc-one-revealed-with-sense-5-0/

[txlaw]

And Ubuntu tablet shows up as well:

http://www.zdnet.com/canonical-reveals-ubuntu-tablet-plans-7000011508/

[Guest wellmont]

remember how everybody thought emerging markets were going to save rimm?  via barron's

 

Blackberry sales are in double-digit decline in emerging markets, which up until a few quarters ago were still in rapid growth due to the success of BBM. Whether this decline is due to permanent share gains by low-end Android devices or to customers holding off purchases until BB10 devices arrive could determine Blackberry's turnaround success.  Nokia  gained back some share in  Western Europe  with its Lumia product line, but North American and APAC trends remain disconcerting.

[txlaw]

Ars Technica article on QNX and BB10:

 

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/02/from-the-car-to-your-phone-how-blackberry-ported-over-qnx-for-its-new-os/

[JEast]

As we are well aware, the markets for handsets are very dynamic with changing tides nearly every week.  Found this post from London via Seeking Alpha that indicates retailers there are raising their prices even after the recent launch.

 

http://seekingalpha.com/article/1210621-major-u-k-outlets-hike-blackberry-z10-price-above-iphone-5-black-market-thriving

 

Then these folks indicated UK sales have stalled.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/blackberry-downgraded-to-sell-by-mkm-partners-2013-02-22?link=MW_latest_news

 

The long/short battle continues.

 

Cheers

JEast

[Guest wellmont]

you can't tell a thing about what's really going on. there has been no supply in the stores. more telling is bbry has not come out with any hard numbers about the z10 launch.

[txlaw]

Interesting.  Woz thinks Blackberry will turn to Android in the future.

 

http://www.ubergizmo.com/2013/02/steve-wozniak-believes-blackberry-will-turn-to-android-in-the-future/

 

Seems a bit out there, but it is Woz.

 

Separately, Woz is saying that Apple is in danger of losing its edge.

 

http://www.cultofmac.com/216693/woz-apples-dangerously-close-to-losing-its-cool/

[txlaw]

Also, Nexus 5 could be coming in a couple of months:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/9802194/Google-Nexus-5-launching-next-month.html

 

And another big time app that will be an Android port instead of a native app, for now:

http://allthingsd.com/20130221/native-instagram-app-is-not-coming-to-blackberry-10/

 

Should always be aware of the good and the bad.

[Guest valueInv]

No surprise here:

 

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323864304578316111774700772.html

[premfan]

Interesting.  Woz thinks Blackberry will turn to Android in the future.

 

http://www.ubergizmo.com/2013/02/steve-wozniak-believes-blackberry-will-turn-to-android-in-the-future/

 

Seems a bit out there, but it is Woz.

 

Separately, Woz is saying that Apple is in danger of losing its edge.

 

http://www.cultofmac.com/216693/woz-apples-dangerously-close-to-losing-its-cool/

 

By switching to the android operating system do you feel its a net positive for blackberry? If everyone is using the same operating system isn't the real winner google ?

[Guest wellmont]

Interesting.  Woz thinks Blackberry will turn to Android in the future.

 

http://www.ubergizmo.com/2013/02/steve-wozniak-believes-blackberry-will-turn-to-android-in-the-future/

 

Seems a bit out there, but it is Woz.

 

Separately, Woz is saying that Apple is in danger of losing its edge.

 

http://www.cultofmac.com/216693/woz-apples-dangerously-close-to-losing-its-cool/

 

By switching to the android operating system do you feel its a net positive for blackberry? If everyone is using the same operating system isn't the real winner google ?

 

it's too late to switch to Android. they chose bb10 instead. they bet the company on bb10. nokia, before they chose windows, went into rimm offices and wanted to team up. this was the old management. old management said go away. we don't need to team up with anybody. htc is a fantastic maker of android phones. simply brilliant. and there is probably no room for them anymore. android ios and windows seem like the winners to me. msft/windows is finally doing a lot of things right in mobile and moving fast to try to catch up. I see them being the american motors to gm and ford (android and ios).

[txlaw]

Interesting.  Woz thinks Blackberry will turn to Android in the future.

 

http://www.ubergizmo.com/2013/02/steve-wozniak-believes-blackberry-will-turn-to-android-in-the-future/

 

Seems a bit out there, but it is Woz.

 

Separately, Woz is saying that Apple is in danger of losing its edge.

 

http://www.cultofmac.com/216693/woz-apples-dangerously-close-to-losing-its-cool/

 

By switching to the android operating system do you feel its a net positive for blackberry? If everyone is using the same operating system isn't the real winner google ?

 

No, I don't think it would be a net positive for BBRY or that it would even be feasible.

 

First, I think the ship sailed on that a long time ago.

 

Second, it seems unlikely that people would buy a BBRY-produced Android device.  The only added value would be bundled BBRY software and services (BBM, BES, data encryption technologies/services, etc.), and I'm not even sure the advantages associated with those software and services could successfully be implemented on an Android device.

 

Third, the best way to maximize the value of BBRY's assets from a resource conversion perspective is its current strategy, which may or may not be successful in terms of having BB10 be a "third solution."  The IP that BBRY is creating and the subscriber base that BBRY is trying to maintain will be worth more if they don't make a really bad decision and try to shift to Android now.

 

If anything, BBRY is more likely to keep working on BB10 and align with MSFT in some way.  They may have to do that because I really think you need to be across multiple screens to be successful, and BBRY doesn't have that, whereas AAPL, GOOG, and MSFT do.

[Guest wellmont]

I don't think aligning with msft fits the current plan. msft is not going to be marketing anything other than the metro interface. they aren't going to make a bb10 tablet. And it's also too late for bbry to adopt windows 8.

where are the bb10 licensing deals? Shouldn't we be seeing some by now?

[txlaw]

I don't think aligning with msft fits the current plan. msft is not going to be marketing anything other than the metro interface. they aren't going to make a bb10 tablet. And it's also too late for bbry to adopt windows 8.

where are the bb10 licensing deals? Shouldn't we be seeing some by now?

 

The way that BBRY could align itself with MSFT would be to tie BB10 to Bing search, Bing maps, Office, Skype interoperability with BBM, Sharepoint, Skydrive, etc. 

 

Not saying that they will do this but that this is a possibility that their strategic advisors have likely pointed out to them.

 

You know it's too early for any BB10 licensing deals.  Just like it was too early when you wanted those deals to show up prior to the BB10 launch. 

[Palantir]

^What he said. MSFT could seriously see this as an opportunity to get more people on its mobile services. BBRY wouldnt mind the cash injection.

[Guest wellmont]

this is the pickle. if bbry did all that, the few customers that prefer those services over Apple and Google's would start to think why should I buy a bb? why don't I just get a wp8 device and get native apps and windows tiles too? why settle for a Kludge? that would also destroy the uniqueness of the bb10 experience, and thus any competitive advantage they believe they have.

 

I don't see msft injecting any cash into bbry. if anything their next step in mobile could be to make a msft branded phone. msft would certainly think about injecting capital if bbry decided to license wp8 or w8. but as rigid as they seem to be in Waterloo, I don't see that either. I think bbry is going to Swim or Sink with bb10. And of course their leadership position in the "internet of things". ;) as for licensing, I believe they've been searching for months for somebody to pay them real money for a product that is readily available for free elsewhere, and from more than one source . no takers as of yet.

[txlaw]

this is the pickle. if bbry did all that, the few customers that prefer those services over Apple and Google's would start to think why should I buy a bb? why don't I just get a wp8 device and get native apps and windows tiles too? why settle for a Kludge? that would also destroy the uniqueness of the bb10 experience, and thus any competitive advantage they believe they have.

 

I don't see msft injecting any cash into bbry. if anything their next step in mobile could be to make a msft branded phone. msft would certainly think about injecting capital if bbry decided to license wp8 or w8. but as rigid as they seem to be in Waterloo, I don't see that either. I think bbry is going to Swim or Sink with bb10. And of course their leadership position in the "internet of things". ;) as for licensing, I believe they've been searching for months for somebody to pay them real money for a product that is readily available for free elsewhere, and from more than one source . no takers as of yet.

 

No thoughts on whether MSFT will inject cash on BBRY, but I think you're wrong on whether people might buy a Blackberry versus a WinPhone device.  There are plenty of people, including me, who really dislike the Windows tile interface.  I'd much rather have the BB10 UX, which is unique I might add because of the Hub.

 

BB10 devices could be an interesting hedge for MSFT.  They're not "Kludges," whatever those are.  They are actually quite good and very unique in many respects.  If MSFT could capture those people that BB10 is targeting, there would be a real chance for MSFT to stay the preferred solution of enterprise.

 

And think about what MSFT could do with a partnership with a company that can provide an OS optimized for the Internet of Things and M2M.  This is why I say that resource conversion is the way to value BBRY.  Wink all you want, but clearly neither you nor ValueInv understand either M2M or IoT.

[Palantir]

this is the pickle. if bbry did all that, the few customers that prefer those services over Apple and Google's would start to think why should I buy a bb? why don't I just get a wp8 device and get native apps and windows tiles too? why settle for a Kludge? that would also destroy the uniqueness of the bb10 experience, and thus any competitive advantage they believe they have.

 

They would still get the same BBY stuff, but get MS web services. AKA, using Bing search instead of Google Search.

[zenith]

There has been quite a bit of talk about Samsung stepping up into the enterprise space with SAFE. A good read at CIO will dispel any serious consideration and thus any IT department looking to it as a viable alternative to Blackberry. BTW Morgan Stanley and many other banks do not allow use of android devices with Good enterprises for this very reason, althought they do allow the Iphone.

 

http://www.cio.com/article/729274/Why_Samsung_Won_t_Beat_Blackberry_in_the_Mobile_Enterprise

 

Also what I believe gets missed on this thread and many others is that Blackberry does not have to be the dominant force it once was to be successfull (and the stock price to move higher) as there are many loyal BB users like Halah at Forbes that love the company.

 

http://www.forbes.com/sites/halahtouryalai/2013/02/24/3-reasons-i-still-have-a-blackberry-and-wont-switch

 

Another recent article from Thorsten Heins with respect to the launch in Germany has him quoted "'We have now increased our production capacity."

If you search anywhere for this article you will not find it. There is a link on Crackberry though.

 

 

 

[Guest valueInv]

There has been quite a bit of talk about Samsung stepping up into the enterprise space with SAFE. A good read at CIO will dispel any serious consideration and thus any IT department looking to it as a viable alternative to Blackberry. BTW Morgan Stanley and many other banks do not allow use of android devices with Good enterprises for this very reason, althought they do allow the Iphone.

 

http://www.cio.com/article/729274/Why_Samsung_Won_t_Beat_Blackberry_in_the_Mobile_Enterprise

 

Also what I believe gets missed on this thread and many others is that Blackberry does not have to be the dominant force it once was to be successfull (and the stock price to move higher) as there are many loyal BB users like Halah at Forbes that love the company.

 

http://www.forbes.com/sites/halahtouryalai/2013/02/24/3-reasons-i-still-have-a-blackberry-and-wont-switch

 

Another recent article from Thorsten Heins with respect to the launch in Germany has him quoted "'We have now increased our production capacity."

If you search anywhere for this article you will not find it. There is a link on Crackberry though.

What is missing in your post is that  with a small, niche market makes Blackberry unattractive for app developers and other ecosystem vendors. With few apps, the phones become less attractive to even the Blackberry fans, resulting in some of them abandoning the platform. Which in turn effects the remaining app developers even more and so on. Its a vicious cycle.

[Guest wellmont]

exactly. bb is a handset maker with a closed proprietary OS. Handsets are a scale business. you can't really be a niche maker of handsets. bb could easily go away in the enterprise. they already are being replaced by IOS and Android. And msft/nok is beginning to get traction. The market share numbers prove this shift. it would be illogical for businesses to continue to use bb when their employees have moved on to IOS and Android, and soon Windows. Enterprises used to buy Data General and Tandem computers. Now they don't. Technologies come and go.

 

Android for the enterprise is a moving target. The first production Android phone was available in late 2008. So it's still a developing technology that is relatively immature. I believe Samsung and Goog/Mot plan to step up the development pace of the enterprise feature set of Android. You can't have a static analysis of this market.

 

I think bb has a future in supplying enterprise device management software & services, which is a very competitive, albeit vibrant niche.

 

One thing TH hasn't done is release hard numbers about the launch of z10. that is telling in itself. Samsung Apple and LG all release hard sales figures of their flagship phones after a successful launch. TH is speaking in vague generalities today because his company is not represented at MWC, which is the biggest mobile technology show of the year. And one of his core strategies is to keep bbry relevant in the face of news vacuums.

 

It's interesting. It looks like HPQ is going to release an Android phone. Of coure HPQ is very focused on the enterprise. I wonder why HPQ, which is starting in mobile from scratch, did not license bb10 for this new push?

[Guest wellmont]

(This story has been posted on The Wall Street Journal Digital Network's AllThingsD site at http://allthingsd.com.)

By  Ina Fried

There's a good reason why Mozilla was able to get more than a dozen carriers to line up behind its browser-based phone operating system.

First off, carriers love anyone that threatens to lessen the power of  Apple  and Android. It's why they always express hope and optimism for any new release of Windows or BlackBerry and have for years.

"Duopolies are not beneficial for any industry,"  Telefonica  CEO  Cesar Alierta  said on stage at Mozilla's press conference on Sunday.  Telefonica  is betting very big on Firefox OS, bringing it to several countries this year and to all its markets by the end of next year.

Even with BlackBerry and Windows Phone,  Telecom Italia  CEO  Franco Bernab è says there is enough opportunity for Firefox and even Tizen, a mobile version of Linux.

"I think there is room for all of them," Bernabè said in a brief interview at the Mozilla event. "The only thing we don't want is to have two monopolies dominating the market."

But Firefox offers two additional benefits beyond just offering carriers a chance to knock  Google  and  Apple  down a peg.

The first of these is cost. The operating system, like Android, is free. But even more than that, it is designed to run well on low-end hardware where Android performs poorly or can't run at all.

Secondly. Firefox is open. Carriers can do what ever they want, from running their own apps and services to branding and anything else.

That could give Firefox and Tizen a leg up on BlackBerry and  Microsoft , Bernabè said. "In our opinion who will prevail will be the open source platforms."

There is still a huge challenge, though. Firefox OS actually has to run well. And that's where the carrier's dreams could end.

The list of companies that bet too early and too heavily on HTML is a long one that includes, most notably,  Facebook , which has since reversed course and focused heavily on native work for iOS and Android.

Analysts say Firefox has lined up an impressive array of partners still has a lot of work in order to deliver a product that will sell.

"The real acid test for Firefox OS and its long-term prospects is the quality of the software itself and the user and developer experiences that it fosters," says Ovum analyst  Tony Cripps . "What is clear from the Firefox OS demonstration handsets that we have seen was that they are still some way from being market ready, being both slow and buggy."

Even low-cost smartphones have to work well, Cripps said, noting that there is increasing competition both from Android as well as the latest generation of feature phones such as  Nokia's  Asha touch line and  Samsung's  Rex phones.

Meanwhile, the U.S. could prove an even tougher nut to crack. The home market is on Mozilla's radar, but not the top priority, says CEO  Gary Kovacs . The company announced  Sprint  as a partner, but didn't give any details and Kovacs said the U.S. probably won't see its first Firefox OS devices until 2014.

-For continuously updated news from  The Wall Street Journal , see WSJ.com at http://wsj.com.

 

  (END) Dow Jones Newswires

  02-24-13  1830ET

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