Bad news for BlackBerry: The iPhone has cracked the business market

Video BlackBerry and iPhone from Youtube


The iPhone may have captured the attention of consumers when it came on the scene three years ago, but business and IT departments have long avoided supporting the device.


Instead, they've supported phones like Research in Motion's Blackberry devices. They might not be as pretty or fun as Apple's Jesus Phone, but Blackberrys get the job done. Except now, businesses are increasingly turning to Apple as well. This spells trouble for Blackberry.

The iPhone quickly dominated the smartphone market when it launched in 2007, but Apple has mostly marketed the iPhone as a consumer device, and Blackberrys have remained a corporate sanctioned tool for business. But according to The Wall Street Journal, businesses are starting to support the iPhone at increasing rates.

With reliable email access and tough exteriors, Blackberrys have gotten a reputation for being dependable business products. iPhones, on the other hand, look more like toys. They're also expensive, and IT departments have been reluctant to support the device. As the Wall Street Journal's handy chart below shows, the iPhone has many more apps that can distract consumers.

But according to Apple, 70% of Fortune 100 companies were testing or deploying iPhones in January. More worrying for RIM is the fact that broken Blackberrys are not being replaced.

According to the Journal:

"Microstrategy Inc., which makes business-intelligence software, plans to deploy more iPhones to employees and only replace BlackBerrys when they break. The company has 1,000 BlackBerrys and 400 iPhones, including 200 purchased by employees."

Supporting and purchasing devices as a business tool is proof that Apple's growing sales figures are closing in on RIM's smartphone dominance.

Blackberrys are seen as reliable email and phone devices, but it appears that the company's efforts to update software and add features have not been able to keep up with innovations Apple has made with the iPhone.

According to the Journal, Apples's efforts to protect the information on lost and stolen iPhones and its compatibility with Microsoft exchange email since 2008 have made it more business friendly.

The latest iPhone, out this week, goes further with its software distribution capability and additional security features. And according to Ron Spears, AT&T's chief of business solutions, enterprises now contribute to 40% of iPhone sales. According to ZDNET, Spears notes that iPhone's security risks have been neutralized. Furthermore, he says:

"Enterprises today view the iPhone as a mobile computer. It happens to have a voice application on it. But what's important is what you can do with it, and the way you can mobilize workforces, and specific parts of your workforce, not the entire workforce."




By Meghan Keane, http://econsultancy.com

RIM Speeding Up BlackBerry Browser with New Patents

Video BlackBerry Browser from Youtube


This post is part of our ReadWriteEnterprise channel, which is a resource and guide for IT managers and technologists in the Enterprise. The channel is sponsored by Intel. As you're exploring solutions for your enterprise, check out this helpful resource from our sponsors: All New 2010 Intel Core vPro Processors and Microsoft Office 2010: Your Best Choice for Business PCs

RIM filed patents for technology that prioritizes different components of a Web page when loading and displaying it according to GoRumors. Specifically, it should make BlackBerry Browser load and display a page's main content before processing CSS and Javascript files. The patent further RIM's efforts to improve its mobile browsing experience as enterprises and consumers increase their reliance on Web apps.

If you've ever seen your BlackBerry stuck on a blank screen even though 50 out of 51 kilobytes of Web page has already loaded, you've experienced the problem RIM is trying to solve. The CSS and Javascript files used to format a page's text can be larger than the text itself, so showing readers the text before it's formatted should speed things up considerably.

RIM announced in November it will release a new WebKit-based browser sometime in 2010, and filed a patent in January for technology to speed up browsing using proxy servers.

The BlackBerry Web browsing experience has been notoriously weak and it makes sense for RIM to improve the experience not just for consumers but for increasingly Web dependent enterprise users as well.

The iPhone and Android are gaining popularity in the enterprise, and many third-party tools such as Sybase's Afaria attempt to bring the advantages of RIM's BlackBerry Enterprise Server to other devices. RIM needs to innovate continuously in order to stay ahead in enterprise, and the browser is a good place to start.




By Klint Finley, www.readwriteweb.com

BlackBerry at Mobile World Congress

Click Video BlackBerry Has Spyware Risk Too, Research Says from Youtube

With a little over a week until Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, it's time to work out your agenda to make sure you get to see and hear all the things that Research In Motion (RIM) will be doing at the show. Here's an overview of some of the things you won't want to miss:


- Co-CEO and Founder of RIM, Mike Lazaridis, will be giving a keynote at 09:00 CET on Tuesday 16th February (hall 5). If you're not attending, be sure to check out our live blog of his keynote here on Inside BlackBerry.

- BlackBerry Developer Day at App Planet (hall 7) being held on Tuesday 16th February. The day starts at 09.45 CET and is packed full of sessions to provide current and prospective developers with the information and the tools they need to make amazing BlackBerry apps.

Check out the Developer Day agenda for more information be sure not to miss the event's keynote at 10:30 CET. Don't forget that you need to register your place at the BlackBerry Developer Day to Guarantee entry (developers with an entry pass to MWC can use the following registration code for the BlackBerry Developer Day: G2dSuMxzjA).

- Tyler Lessard, VP Global Alliances & Developer Relations of RIM, will be part of panel taking place at 11:00 on Monday 15th February (hall 5) on the topic of 'Unlocking application revenue through billing and payments'.

- The BlackBerry stand is located at position 8B178 in hall 8. On our stand this year, we're pleased to be showcasing solutions and apps from over 60 partners plus visitors will be able to test out the latest BlackBerry smartphones, accessories and solutions.

Pack your bag, grab your BlackBerry smartphone and catch that plane! While you're in Barcelona, make sure you keep an eye out for what's happening at the show-news will be posted right here on Inside BlackBerry.




By Douglas Soltys, http://blogs.blacberry.com

3 News BlackBerry Devices To Expect In 2010

1)Blackberry Essex:
This device is equipped with newer version of 3G/CDMA/WiFi, better than the Blackberry Tour 9630 which is currently out for Verizon Wireless and Sprint. We've touch base on this device a little while ago during the release of the Tour, talking about how the next Tour will be equipped with WiFi.


Well, this is that device we were talking about! The device will be also rockin' the all new trackpad and from what BBLeaks says another "little surprise." which remains unknown.

2)Blackberry 9100 aka Striker:
The BlackBerry Pearl has been nothing but history lately, especially after the release of the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 82xx series which did not launch as successfully as planned. Rest assured, the Pearl will be coming back as you all remember it with some cool new features that will definitely convince you to go back to it.

The BlackBerry 9100 aka Striker is going to be equipped with 3G + Trackpad. The coolest part about it is that will be even slimmer than the upcoming BlackBerry Bold 2 9700 aka Onyx which is expected to release by the end of year. Stay tuned for the sexier and improved BlackBerry Pearl 9100.


3)BlackBerry Curve 8530:
This won't excite many but as we all know, the BlackBerry Curve 85xx series is a very basic model with its soul purpose to cater to the user friendly crowd which are most likely just getting introduced to the BlackBerry platform for the first time. Being that it is very basic, the device will be offered at a very low affordable price.


As for the specis, it wil be like the recently released 8520, this one is just a Curve, but for CDMA carriers. We've seen many leaked images on it so far as well as carrier inventory releases. It is expected to be announced really soon.



By, Mac Jadalhack, www.pocketberry.com

BlackBerry Poised For Apps Evolution in 2010

BlackBerry had its iPhone 3.0 moment this week, when Research in Motion unveiled four new services for developers making BlackBerry apps.

Enabling developers to use in-App payments, push notifications and battery-friendly geolocation, as well as making in-app advertising easier, should kickstart a new wave of app development for BlackBerry, even if the APIs won't be available to the masses until the first half of next year.

However, the iPhone 3.0 comparison doesn't stop there. These new services can certainly be seen as RIM playing catch-up to Apple, since they've been available to iPhone developers since earlier this summer.

Actually, though, this is no bad thing. The unpalatable truth for all the smartphone platforms is that iPhone has the momentum right now when it comes to developer support.

Anything these platform-owners can do to persuade iPhone developers to look beyond the App Store is a good thing. Google has been calling up developers of innovative iPhone apps and trying to tempt them to Android, for example.

RIM's
announcements this week - backed up by its strong smartphone market share in North America and its 80-20 revenue split on the BlackBerry App World - will also act as an incentive.

Click here to read Mobile Entertainment's in depth analysis of the four new services.


By Stuart Dredge, http://www.casualgaming.biz

Xobni mobile details teased at BlackBerry Developer Conference

Promises to make contack book more relevant Xobni has offered further details of what it's mobile version of its Outlook plug-in will offer and suggested a launch date to delegates at the BlackBerry Developer Conference in San Francisco on Monday.

"Xobni for mobile will be more like your automatic address book made up of all the thousands of people you may have communicated with over the years," the company has said.

According to the firm, that already offers a way for Outlook users to sieve through their contacts, the typical user "has 5-10X the number of contacts in their email inbox versus their Outlook address book."

Features outlined at the conference include Xobni Rank, a list of contacts, in ranked order, depending on the freshness and depth of your relationship say the company.

According to Xobni (inbox spelt backwards by the way) the app will quickly find anyone you've ever communicated with, along with context to your relationship, in ranked order.

"Most people know more than one Mike. Xobni Rank delivers every Mike you know in ranked order based on how often and how recently you communicated with him. So, the Mike Zander, whom you just spoke with yesterday and email one time per week will be listed above the Mike Andler, who was CC'd in an email once by your coworker."

Although originally slated for a Summer 09 launch date, the company has said that it looks more likely to be early 2010 before the app will be available.


By Stuart Miles, http://m.pocket-lint.com

Study shows iPhone users are deviant egomaniacs

A recent study by Retrevo has some really funny conclusions regarding the personalities of BlackBerry versus iPhone users.

The study reveals the following:

Retrevo asked, "What makes person most attractive to you?" iPhone owners preferred cool gadgets over a college degree three to one.

One in three iPhone owners has texted or emailed their significant other to break up.

One in three iPhone owners say that, if their partner had out-of-date gadgets, it would be a turnoff.

One in five iPhone owners admits to frequently watching "adult material" on their iPhones. (Twice as many as BlackBerry owners).

One in four iPhone users has broken up with their partner because that person spent too much time on their mobile device.

The study also notes that "Compared with other cell phone users, iPhone owners are more likely to see themselves as media buffs, extroverts, amd intellectuals," with 40% of iPhone users claiming to be "intellectual," and only 36% of BlackBerry users saying the same.

By Kyle, www.blackberrycool.com

Could BlackBerry be getting more satellite radio?

Why is there no Sirius XM application for BlackBerry? They have it on other platfroms, and since BlackBerry represents the largest smartphone market in the US, it would make sense for them to cater to that crowd.


It's been over year and a half since QuickPlay began offering a limited XM, featuring only 20 channels for $7.99 per month. So what gives?
I'm not sure what's going on, but there is reason to be optimistic. Brandon Matthews of Satwaves found a press release that suggests that Sirius XM could come along with the BlackBerry 9700.


The press release is for the 9700's release on Bell in Canada. Per the release, "the BlackBerry Bold 9700 smartphone will also deliver great Bell Mobility mobile data services including GPS location, Live TV,SIRIUS Satellite Radio, and Unlimited NHL.
"

The fear, of course, is that this is limited just to Bell and won't be offered on the 9700 on AT&T and T-Mobile. It could be something like Verizon's V-Cast, which offers multimedia options that you can't get on other carries.


That, of course, would be a major bummer. I think that a Sirius XM application for BlackBerry would go over well with the user base, and could certainly attrack even more customers.

New subscribers wouldn't even need a radio unit for their car if they have an auxiliary jack-thd BlackBerry could act as the receiver. Plus, it would mean Howard Stern all the time.

The lack of a Siriux XM application is one of the more disappointing aspects of BlackBerry streaming audio. Other streaming audio applications, like Pandora for BlackBerry and Slacker Radio,
offer excellent alternatives, but there are still things you can't get on those that you can on Sirius XM. We can only hope that this service comes to all devices soon, and not just for 9700 customers on Bell.



By Joe,www.bbgeks.com

inPulse Smartwatch Puts Your BlackBerry on Your Wrist

Allerta has taken the wraps off a watch that works in concert with a nearby BlackBerry smartphone to display messages and alerts.

The inPulse will have a 1.3-inch OLED display, and will communicate with the BlackBerry over Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR.

It is going to be able to display incoming e-mails, SMS messages, and phone calls.

The makers of this watch don't expect people to give up looking at their BlackBerry, but this accessory will allow them easily see if an incoming message is important enough to justify pulling the phone out of pocket, purse, or briefcase.

This will be read-only device, with no way to input text.

Hardware Details
The inPulse will be 2.0 inches tall, 1.5 inches wide, and 0.5 inches thick (51mm x 38mm x 12mm). It going to have a glass cover and an all-metal casing.

Allerta says its 150 mAh battery will it a four-day battery life, depending on usage. It can be recharged over its micro-USB port.

Pricing and Availability
Pre-orders are now being taken for a limited first production run. Orders can be placed at the price for the Allerta inPulse is $150. As this smartwatch will use a BlackBerry as its source of e-mails, etc., there will be no additional cost for service.

Its manufacturer says this accessory should be ready to ship by February 2010.

By: Ed Hardy, www.brighthand.com