Black-berry Confirms Niche Status With Keyboard Focused Smartphones in 201 !

s 201" opened# BlackBerry $as ready to take on the $orld $ith a ne$ operatin% system# a ne$ touch-screen based &S# and a ran%e of smartphones that $ould appeal to e'ery market se%ment( )nfortunately for the smartphone manufacturer# 201" didn*t %o accordin% to plan# and BlackBerry has stumbled into 201 ( But $ith a rene$ed focus# a ne$ C+&# and a realistic look at the market# BlackBerry could ha'e a healthier 201 ( &ne thin% that %i'es BlackBerry hope is their ne$ focus and direction( C+& ,ohn Chen indicated that the ma-ority of BlackBerry*s smartphones in the future $ill ha'e physical keyboards( Focusin% on BlackBerry*s historical stren%th is a smart decision for Chen( BlackBerry*s smartphone focus durin% 201" looked to co'er as many bases as possible# and $ith the BB10 &S makin% its first smartphone appearance in the all-touch BlackBerry .10 the marketin% messa%e become confused( /he .10 $as a ne$ paradi%m for a touch-screen de'ice# it stru%%led to build a si%nificant !pp Store# !ndroid support $as present but not 0oo%le 1lay# and BlackBerry*s loyal fan-base $aited for the keyboard based 210(

/he .10 didn*t sell and BlackBerry*s shot at bein% one of 3/he Bi% /hree* slipped a$ay( /hat*s not to say that BlackBerry $as finished# but neither $as the future clear( /akin% stock of the situation and bein% realistic on $hat BlackBerry could deli'er to the market 4and ho$ the market $ould react5 $as 'ital( !fter the sale of BlackBerry to a pri'ate consortium fell throu%h# the Board re%rouped on strate%y and asked ,ohn Chen to take the C+& role as an interim measure( /hat role has# 6uietly# been made permanent# and Chen*s decision to 3%o $ith the keyboard* is probably the smartest thin% to do( Not only does it %i'e a clear direction 4and a uni6ue sellin% point5# it is realistic about BlackBerry*s place in the market( With the best $ill in the $orld# the Canadian company is not %oin% to fli%ht the !ndroid and i&S installed base( /heir competition is 7icrosoft*s Windo$s 1hone 8( 9 don*t see BlackBerry*s limited reser'es bein% able to stand up to 7icrosoft and $hate'er in-house from the Nokia :umia team takes( BlackBerry in 201 by their 'ery definition are %oin% to be niche players and if they can finish the year $ith a ;< market share in their core territories !ckno$led%in% that they are and $ill remain a niche play $ill play to BlackBerry*s stren%ths( ! physical keyboard on a smartphone is not somethin% the mainstream market is lookin% for# but there are communities $here such as de'ice is seen as 3a really neat idea(* BlackBerry can market the ne$ de'ices directly to them and not $orry about comparisons to the latest Samsun% 0ala=y or !pple i1hone> they can focus on their +nterprise links and %ood standin% as a supplier to %o'ernment a%encies 4especially in the )S5> and by partnerin% $ith Fo=conn to outsource the manufacturin% and desi%n elements of their handsets they can maintain competency in modern handset desi%n $ithout ha'in% to finance a lar%e hard$are office inside the company( /he %oals for BlackBerry in 201 are clear? !im for a fi'e percent market share# focus on keyboard based smartphones# look to corporate sales for income( !nd make sure all of this is to shareholders and supporters( 9t mi%ht not be the future that BlackBerry fans hoped for as 201" da$ned# but it is a future( @@ searchkey$ords

4http?AAb(hatena(ne(-pAsearchkey$ordsA