IBM sniffs RIM, winks at BlackBerry big biz unit
Enterprise services interests Big Blue, mobes not so much
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IBM is reportedly interested in snapping up the enterprise services division of troubled BlackBerry-maker Research in Motion.
Well-placed sources whispered to Bloomberg that Big Blue could help Canadian mobile biz RIM by taking the unit off its hands, and has already made an informal approach about it.
The enterprise services division operates a network of secure servers to handle email and messages to and from BlackBerry devices. So far it seems this unit is the only bit of RIM folks may be interested in snaffling, other than the company's patent war chest.
The division that actually makes its phones is probably the least popular, but RIM is willing to hold out until its BlackBerry 10 phones finally come out next year before making any decisions on selling that part of it off, one of the contacts said.
RIM has tried a number of things to try to get its mojo back, but continued delays to BlackBerry 10 and other setbacks have seen the firm's star fall and fall.
Earlier this summer, CEO Thorsten Heins said RIM had hired JPMorgan Chase and RBC Capital Markets to look at its "strategic options", which is often business-speak for selling off some or all of a company.
RIM's shares have been falling fairly steadily since 2008, a year after Apple iPhones first hit the stands, and have lost 46 per cent so far this year.
An IBM spokesperson declined to comment on rumour and speculation. RIM had not returned a request for comment at the time of publication. ®
COMMENTS
Re: Really RIM needs to look at a virtual blackberry on Android and iPhone
You're right.
Trouble is, companies with a hardware-based history find it terribly difficult to admit that being a services company is actually better for their business. It would be the final nail in the coffin of their phone business, if the only main BB selling point were available on other platforms I reckon the sales decline there would set some sort of record.
I remember seeing one of the "Troubleshooter" series of programmes, in which Sir John Harvey-Jones would be sent into an ailing company to advise them. IIRC Apricot was the company in this one and his advice was to get the heck out of hardware and concentrate on the software and services side of things. They eventually did, but only after ignoring his advice, pressing on as they were, going comprehensively titsup.com and resurrecting the remains after finally getting shot of the hardware business.
Really RIM needs to look at a virtual blackberry on Android and iPhone
RIM needs to release a virtual blackberry app on Android and iPhone, with full encryption, full remote WIPE (for the virtual machine), etc. Support both, email, and blackberry messenger to start with, and maybe add business specific blackberry apps later.
That way enterprise customers using BES can look at other handset options, still fork over the $$$ for BES and get the "security" they want. The app could be a "very" expensive APP at ~$100 or even $150 per user.
sounds more like
Some investor hype before cashing out the pension funds
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