Selling phones? Nonsense, BlackBerry is all about THE CLOUD

Ailing smartphone vendor BlackBerry says it will soon launch a new cloud-based service to enable easy, web-based management of mobile users and apps. "The cloud service will be purpose-built to meet both business and end user needs, and will require no IT experience, servers, or software," BlackBerry's Luke Reimer said in a …

[Gil Grissum]

I have a co-worker who had a Z10 and was extolling the virtues of the BB10 platform until he tried to side load Android apps. The next time I saw him, he'd gotten an iPhone 4S. Who's going to sign up for some BB enterprise service, especially considering that Microsoft is about to do the same thing and many Enterprise shops run on Microsoft Networks. Microsoft gets a foot hold in providing a similar service for BYOD Enterprises and that's it for BB, if they attempt to do the same. How many businesses are going to trust BB over Microsoft at this point?

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Ailing smartphone vendor BlackBerry says it will soon launch a new cloud-based service to enable easy, web-based management of mobile users and apps. "The cloud service will be purpose-built to meet both business and end user needs, and will require no IT experience, servers, or software," BlackBerry's Luke Reimer said in a blog

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[Davidoff]

I have a co-worker who had a Z10...

"... and was extolling the virtues of the BB10 platform until he tried to side load Android apps."

Maybe he should have not given up so quickly on which at the end of the day is a very new platform. The original BBOS 10.0 was indeed riddled with of problems but most of them have been fixed in 10.1, and based on reports from people using the pre-release version of 10.2 (which is due to come out within the next 6 weeks or so) not only squashes more of the remaining few niggles but also bring lots of new stuff (i.e. USB OTG).

BB10 is really a very much underrated platform. It's a real shame that BB has effectively priced their phones out of the market.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: I have a co-worker who had a Z10...

Yes, BB10 is pretty nice to use, it's brilliantly smooth and polished and makes my Android seem quite basic.

However, it doesn't have many useful apps, although most of the important ones (that don't involve watching videos and picture of cats) are there.

As for the Android sideloading, this was never intended for end users, it is for developers to use during the process of porting their Android apps to BB10. Naturally BB would prefer them to develop using Cascades.

[Anonymous Coward]

The only clouds around Blackberry are the clouds of smoke from their burning business...

[dogged]

what sort of coffee?

[Belardi]

Gravity is a very cool movie. Awesome effect and very tense from beginning to end.

But, I don't think the new Thanksgiving time-traveling turkey movie will do well, it looks like typical direct-to-video trash.

Wait, are we talking about rimcloud?

[Bronek Kozicki]

why, why, why?

Why can't they just stop running like headless chicken and focus on their traditional business strengths, ie. great phone hardware and software optimized for email and communications??

[Fihart]

Control, Control

Well, at least, with this cloud strategy Blackberry are recognising that their raison d'etre is control of users by others (including by BB).

Their diversions into the launch of very expensive consumer phones -- Z10 Z30 -- against the low cost and (relative) freedom of the Android empire was a misunderstanding of their role for which they are now paying.

I don't like the fact that my relationship with my provider (T Mobile) is mediated by Blackberry -- like I now can't easily move my SIM between phones and still use internet. May make sense in a corporate environment but it's annoying to an individual user to the point that I don't think I'll go for their hardware again (always assuming any retailer is still offering it by then).

[Dan 55]

Re: Control, Control

That was changed with the launch of BB10, Q5/Q10/Z10/Z30 don't need Blackberry SIMs.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Control, Control

BB10 phones don't use BIS at all, and BBM is provided over a standard data connection when using the cellular radios just as it is on WiFi.

[Fihart]

Re: Control, Control @Dan 55

Good to know they've reformed, but it's a bit too late (especially for me as I have an older model).

On the upside my 9800, though an old model was box-fresh (replacement for one of two BBs that had gone kaput). It was a gift from a friend who'd given up on BB and switched to Apple. My next phone in 24 months time will be probably be a rather tired iPhone 4S. So out of one control-freak enviro into another.

[GrandpaChris]

Getting to a place where communication is just another service I trust brings Blackberry back to its pager days. Now will all devices secure except windows and simple IT usage even the bosses assistant can be a Blackberry IT admin. Cool Blackberry. Nice juice.