BlackBerry 10 Z10 Photo courtesy of BlackBerry Images / Creative Commons
By Preeteesh Peetabh Singh
Dialog Reporter
The future of Research In Motion (RIM) is doubtful. The recent global launch of BlackBerry 10 (BB10) in the market got mixed reviews from users. Consumers seem undecided on buying the phone, as the future of the company remains unclear.
A Cnet review of the BB10 said, “BlackBerry lovers who can get past the rookie mistakes will find a polished looking OS that’s packed with interesting and useful features, but happy android and iOS users won’t find a reason to switch.”
In an attempt to survive in the market and rise again from the dump, RIM officially changed its name to BlackBerry on Jan. 30. It was termed as an act of desperation by some while others called it an excellent move by the company in order to revamp itself to its former path of glory.
RIM now trades under the ticker symbol of BB instead of RIM in the Toronto Stock Exchange, and BBRY instead of RIMM in NASDAQ. With the current trading price hovering around the $14 mark, the stock price has failed to exhibit any significant movement upwards or downwards.
Overall, BB10 has generated mild reactions in the financial market.
Other major changes within the company came through the appointment of two new members in the board of directors – Richard “Dick” Lynch, retired Executive Vice President of Verizon Communications Inc., and Bert Nordberg, former Chief Executive Officer of Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications. The company also roped in 14-time Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter and entrepreneur, Alicia Keys, as the company’s new Global Creative Director.
The company seems to be going all out to save itself from going down. Keys will lead the marketing segment and help in creating a positive perception of the brand.
Brand loyalists seem to be happy with the launch of BB10, “I will definitely go buy the device, I have been a BlackBerry user for many years and I can’t part ways with it so easily. There are certain features in this device that no other phone offers, one of them being BBM which I am very comfortable with”, said Milan Pipaliya, a BlackBerry user for five years.
On letting go BlackBerry’s trademark keypad which no longer exists in BB10, Pipaliya says, “I don’t mind that, this change is for the better and I will get used to the touch keypads very soon.”
