BlackBerry outage bad timing for weary RIM
In terms of “what RIM needs right now,” a massive, sweeping BlackBerry outage falls somewhere between its stock price falling below $20 and photos of Jim Balsillie in drag popping up online.
Indeed, just when the world was beginning to forget about the ongoing PlayBook debacle, all that Research In Motion may have left – the sturdy BlackBerry and its reliable service – appears to be wavering, giving everyone the chance to reopen that age-old smartphone argument:
BlackBerry, iPhone or otherwise?
According to the latest reports, BlackBerry outages in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South America, Asia and India have today reached Canada and the U.S..
*Bing: Compare BlackBerry vs. iPhone vs. Windows Phone vs. Android
Users say the disruptions, which, globally, have been going on for three days, have impacted BlackBerry’s text, email and web browsing services.
Immediately, the BlackBerry outage is felt most glaringly with consumers*, who have taken to the web to express their displeasure with RIM’s service.
By a Star poll accessed early Wednesday afternoon, 56 per cent of respondents said the latest BlackBerry outage had convinced them to explore other smartphone options.
(*Let’s forget for a moment that it isn’t consumers that ought to be most irked by a BlackBerry outage; the smartphone’s last ironclad adopter group, the world’s corporations, would surely be more affected by a service outage than twentysomethings that can’t change their BBM profile pics.)
Perhaps now, more than ever, BlackBerry is at risk of losing its customer base. Currently there are about 70 million BlackBerry users across the world, and at least some of them are pretty frustrated about things.
What’s of note here, then, is the emergence of Android and the iPhone 4S’ release in two days. In other words, this ain’t the time for a BlackBerry outage.
BlackBerry users: going forward, will you stick with your RIM smartphone?
By Jason Buckland, MSN Money
*Photo couresty RIM.
Posted by: Steve | Oct 12, 2021 9:12:00 PM
This does come a VERY convenient time for Apple. And it is interesting to note that it has affected the non-commercial wing of RIM (again,' lucky' for apple).
That said, Apple lost it's most beloved Tyrant so I suppose it's all swings & roundabouts. What is a greater concern to me as a lover of the RIM concept is their SLoooooooooooooooooooW approach to implementing a RIM level of security mobile payment option.
For the life of my I cannot understand why they haven't managed to get a payment system in place. Seriously, you've got a proven secure system, and established customer base and a way for M/C - VISA to offer secure credit cards who's numbers can change on a whim to minimize the risk of fraud.
RIM should be proud to be Canadian and Different or they should go bust. Sadly it looks like they are choosing the latter. Seriously, Playbook? How old do you think your customers are, 5?
Posted by: brett | Oct 13, 2021 12:47:36 AM
My business and personal use will always support Blackberry keep it Canadian people
Posted by: Sue | Oct 13, 2021 6:35:22 AM
I used to work for a mobility store, and I always sold blackberry's because they were a reliable and durable phone... So far this year my Bold 9700 dropped less than 2 feet onto carpet and my screen smashed, and have been affected by two outages. I'm not even exactly sure how sales people are suppose to pitch a sale of a RIM product anymore... RIM and mobility companies are going to have to do something BIG to improve the sales... I will always be a RIM customer because it is Canadian and I want to make sure my money helps to keep jobs here in Canada, but I really haven't been to impressed or satisfied with them this year...
Posted by: steve | Oct 13, 2021 9:40:26 AM
This outage was a major one, but as problems for large companies go it is actually small. Look at Sony. Their security has been hacked and personal information of consumers has been breeched more then once. they had a major recall on televions yesterday due to fire concerns. Toyota had the accelorator issues that may have caused injury to its clients.. Stars have had their "non blackberry" phones hacked and personal info breached. (look at the self taken pictures that have been leaked. its not a blackberry... looks like an ihackable phone to me)
Rim had an outage, YES. inconvienent, YES. did anyones security get breached? NO
ill live with less apps . i know my contoact list, communications are safe and secure!
IM KEEPING MY BLACKBERRY!
Posted by: Joe | Oct 13, 2021 10:33:30 AM
I work in Cell Phone sales and RIM is not doing very well. Android is the system which is really surging in this industry. Blackberry really needed to play catch up and make some devices which are up to par with the incredible Android devices on the market now and this outage will further cement their hugely declining sales. I used RIM devices for 10 years or so but just couldn't justify keeping my inferior blackberry anymore. I would like to be able to support our Canadian company, but Blackberry is very very far behind Android and Apple and is going to have to do something very ground breaking and drastic to get their name back into the smartphone mix. To those of you affected by this outage considering checking out some non-Rim devices take a real hard look at Android. Even the Iphone can't compare to what Google has done with Android...What an incredible system, without the hugely restrictive mindset of the Iphone.
Posted by: Paul S | Oct 13, 2021 10:33:41 AM
The outages have been reported to only have occured in North America in the past couple of days. Here in St. john's Newfoundland (eastern Canada) we have been without service since sometime on Saturday October 8th.
Posted by: Dan | Oct 13, 2021 6:40:35 PM
We're way up in God's country in northern Alberta, and I gotta tell ya- In general, we love our Blackberry's, but our service frankly sucks. The outage hit us here as well for 2 and a half days, but over the course of the last several weeks, we'd lose service for 1 to 2 hours every single evening. You could almost set your watch to it. It's been so frustrating. Wake up RIM. We love our bb's and swear by you, but we're getting pushed to the edge. Either things improve vastly or we'll be forced to consider (ugh) iPhone for all of our business and personal needs.
Posted by: ColleenDC | Oct 14, 2021 12:56:55 PM
I agree with Brett. We need to support Rim and also hope that Mr. Basaillie will step and pay attention to his company and his customers. Keep it Canadian and keep supporting him. All the other companies like Apple have had major problems but we never hear of them until it is fixed or modified. But because RIM is Canadian , it is there in our news more. Keep going RIM and continue to improve our Blackberries, our service and to try and avoid problems like this.
Posted by: bob | Oct 14, 2021 10:12:21 PM
I don't own a blackberry or and i phone so i'd say i'm relatively unbiased. But i can't say the same for the media coverage of blackberry. Correct me if I'm wrong here but the phones still worked; you could still talk on them and still text with them. Just the BBM feature stopped working. A feature unique to blackberry. Now people are so upset for being without this for 3 days in europe and 1 day in north america that they are switiching phones? So they can never have this feature or an equivalent feature with any other phone, ever? Are people stupid or is the media just really giving slanted reporting of this? I know people with both phones and I hear all kinds of problems with I phones that I never read about online.