BlackBerry Enterprise Share Will Drop from 52% to 36% in 2012

BlackBerry Market Share Dropping Fast

The BlackBerry may not be dead, but it's dying, some now say. New research from Enterprise Management Associates likewise indicates that 30 percent of BlackBerry users in companies with more than 10,000 users will move to a different mobile platform in 2012.

That would move Research in Motion's standing in large enterprise accounts into that of a minority operating system. Today, 52 percent of users in such organizations "actively" use a BlackBerry for work purposes, EMA reports; a 30 percent reduction would bring that total to 36 percent.

"We expected to see some market share loss by RIM, but these results were far more dramatic than we could have anticipated," reports Steve Brasen, EMA's managing research director. They come on the heels of a larger defection: Users of all stripes are moving away from BlackBerry, as its continually declining market share shows.

Even the BlackBerry faithful are abandoning RIM

Bearish View of The Smart Phone Business

Here's a bearish view about the smart phone business. Microsoft and Apple are extracting royalty payments from Google Android suppliers, squeezing their margins.

Apple missed targets for iPhone sales and sales of Research In Motion’s BlackBerry have "collapsed," not to mention the recent multi-day global outage.

Analysts may argue that the rise of products like powerful tablets have hurt smart phone sales. Some of us think that is partly true. Tablet sales have grown much faster than did sales of Apple iPhones or iPods.

So attention now has been diverted to tablets, to some extent. But Mary Meeker, Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers partner doesn't appear to share the pessimism.

But lower-cost smart phones now are about to pour onto the market, and the high penetration of mobiles means there still is a huge replacement market.

The Smartphone Business Loses Its Luster

RIM Share, Earnings Fall in 2nd Quarter

So there has to be concern now that RIM, a star in the mobile handset space, might suffer a similar fate, as hard as that is to imagine, though it once might have seemed unthinkable.

Canadians, more than other people, are going to worry about what is happening at Research in Motion, for reasons of national pride and influence in the broader telecom business. Nortel once was the biggest company in Canada, by valuation, as I recall, and no longer exists.

For the first time in over a decade, shipments of BlackBerry smart phones have declined, year-over-year, RIM second quarter results show. RIM also said it shipped fewer than half of its PlayBook tablets than it did in the previous quarter. Revenue declines

Revenue was down 15 percent to $4.2 billion from last quarter’s $4.9 billion, which, to be fair, is what it predicted it would make. But it’s on the lower end of the scale. Last quarter, RIM estimated that its second quarter revenue would be between $4.2 and $4.8 billion.

Revenue was down 10 percent from the $4.6 billion RIM made in the same quarter last year. RIM smart phone, tablet shipments decline (Wall Street Journal subscription required)

Although BlackBerrys have dominated the corporate smartphone market, their popularity in the consumer market has been short-lived. U.S. consumers have moved on to phones with big touchscreens like Apple's iPhone and various models that run Google Inc.'s Android operating system.

"They are just not selling. They are not competitive," said Peter Misek, an analyst at Jefferies & Co. "They are getting really hit hard by Android phones."

RIM Goes Multi-Platform, Losing Smartphone Battle?

In a move almost certain to be interpreted as a sign enterprises are migrating to iOS and Android devices and away from their past heavy reliance on BlackBerry devices, Research In Motion announced plans for a multi-platform BlackBerry Enterprise Solution for managing and securing mobile devices for enterprises and government organizations.

The solution is expected to incorporate secure device management for Android and iOS based devices and tablets, all managed from a single web-based console, RIM says.

Some might try to spin the announcement as an extension of BES features to other key enteprise operating systems, and that it is. But others will say the move suggests RIM already can see that enterprises and larger organizations are moving away from BlackBerry and towards Apple and Android devices.

In fact, some might already be ready to predict the possibility that RIM might someday be a provider of server solutions, not handsets.

RIM's business has traditionally been driven by IT departments at enterprises, as BES gave companies an easy way to do things like activate devices, manage passwords, push out software updates, and wipe lost or stolen devices clean.

That might be the future of the business, not handsets.

read more here

Android Market Eclipses Apple App Store for Free Apps

The Google Android Market eclipsed the Apple App Store for iPhone in terms of free applications and now has 134,342 free applications, while the Apple App Store iPhone has 121,845 free applications, Distimo reports.

If all application stores maintain their current growth pace, approximately five months from now Google Android Market will be the largest store in terms of number of applications followed by the Apple App Store for iPhone and iPad, Windows Phone 7 Marketplace, BlackBerry App World and Nokia Ovi Store.

The rise of Windows Phone 7 and the relative decline of BlackBerry and Nokia as leaders in the smartphone category might have something to do with the state of the respective app stores. Some observers would say that the Microsoft deal with Nokia, which has Nokia essentially abandoning Symbian for Windows Phone 7, will vault Microsoft into position number three in the smart phone OS market, eclipsing RIM.

Looking at history, one would be hard pressed to imagine why RIM would remain a force, or perhaps even viable, in a market so dominated by the iPhone and Android, with Microsoft claiming the third spot, in terms of share. There is not much precedent for a viable "number four or five" provider in the mobile OS ecosystem. So as shocking as the assertion might be, it appears RIM's best days, even its existence as an independent company, are at grave risk.

The Windows Phone 7 Marketplace will also be larger than the Nokia Ovi Store and BlackBerry App World prior to the Windows Phone 7 Marketplace being available for even a full year, Distimo says.
One year after launching the iPad, Apple will be confronted with its first serious competition as both BlackBerry and Google enter the emerging tablet market.

Apple has already seized momentum and grown the App Store for iPad in the first year to 75,755 applications developed by 21,975 publishers. Daily downloads in the "Top 100 Overall" paid and free applications for iPad combined exceed 500,000, while the daily revenue in the Top 100 paid is approximately $400,000 excluding in-app purchases.

http://www.distimo.com/publications/

U.S. Smartphone Market is a Bit Like Fashion

Smartphones and other mobile devices are a bit like fashion, introducing a great deal of volatility.

According to The Nielsen Company’s monthly surveys of U.S. mobile consumers from July 2010 to September 2010, consumers planning on getting a new smartphone had a very clear preference: A third (33 percent) wanted an Apple iPhone.

Slightly more than a quarter (26 percent) said they desired a device with the Google Android operating system. And 13 percent said they wanted a RIM Blackberry.

Those same surveys for January 2011 to March 2011 show significant changes. According to the latest figures, 31 percent of consumers who plan to get a new smartphone indicated Android was now their preferred OS. Apple’s iOS has slipped slightly in popularity to 30 percent and RIM Blackberry is down to 11 percent. Almost 20 percent of consumers are unsure of what to choose next.

U.S. Smartphone Market: Who’s the Most Wanted? | Nielsen Wire

Apple Leads Smartphone Installed Base, Android Leads in Share

According to November data from The Nielsen Company, the popularity of the Android operating system among those who purchased a smartphone in the last six months (40 percent) makes it the leading OS in terms of market share, defined as new sales. Apple still leads in terms of installed base.

But despite its surge among recent acquirers, when it comes to overall installed base of users, Android OS (25.8 percent) is still behind Apple iOS (28.6 percent). RIM Blackberry’s position is less clear: Its share (26.1 percent) puts it within the margin of error of both Apple iOS and Android.

Apple Leads Smartphone Race, while Android Attracts Most Recent Customers | Nielsen Wire

How Smartphone Users See Themselves, How Others See Them

I'm not sure this cartoon is right up there with the classic "if operating systems were airlines," but it's funny.

For many of you, the "operating systems as airlines" references won't make sense. You weren't born when they were used.

For some of you, the depiction of airlines will make perfect sense. Read it here:  http://webaugur.com/bibliotheca/field_stock/os-airlines.html

The NPD Group: Android Extends its Smartphone Market Share in the Third Quarter of 2010

The Android smartphone operating system significantly grew its lead in the U.S. consumer smartphone market in the third quarter of 2010, according to The NPD Group.

Android’s OS was installed in 44 percent of all smartphones purchased in the third quarter, an increase of 11 percentage points since the second quarter.

The Apple iOS held relatively steady versus last quarter, rising one percentage point to 23 percent. The RIM OS fell to third position, declining from 28 percent to 22 percent.

The NPD Group: Android Extends its Smartphone Market Share in the Third Quarter of 2010

iPhone Passes Blackberry in Global Market Share

Apple has passed Research In Motion in global phone sales. During this year's third quarter, 15.4 million iPhones were shipped globally compared to only 12.4 million Blackberries, the researchers at Strategy Analytics says.

With the shipments, Apple grabbed a 15.4 percent share of the market during the period, while RIM finished well behind with a 12.3 percent share. Nokia still leads with 26.5 percent of the worldwide market.

A major factor contributing to RIM's slipping numbers is its 'limited presence in the high-growth touchscreen segment,' according to Strategy Analytics.

iPhone Passes Blackberry in Global Shipments - PCWorld

Android Overtakes iPhone OS Globally

Google’s Android Operating System has overtaken Apple’s iPhone OS and become the world’s third most popular OS.

Android had 17 percent market share during the second quarter.

Android also is on track to overtake RIM’s BlackBerry OS and become the world’s second biggest platform behind Nokia’s Symbian OS, Gartner says.

According to Gartner, the Android OS has already overtaken the BlackBerry OS in the US.

Android Overtakes iPhone OS

Android the Only Smartphone OS Gaining Market Share?

In the U.S. market, at least, Android devices seem to be the only class of devices, sorted by operating system, that has gained market share over the last six months, Nielsen reports.

Android and iPhone Users Seem More Loyal Than BlackBerry Users

Users of iPhone and Android devices seem to be more loyal than BlackBerry users, a new analysis by Nielsen suggests.

Based on "next desired smartphone" responses, existing iPhone and Android users are more likely than BlackBerry users to want to stick with the same operating system when they buy their next devices.

Android Making a Breakout Move?

Android devices collectively have done something significant in the smartphone market. Since March 2010, Research in Motion market share has dropped and Android share has exploded.

As RIM supports a family of devices, sold across carriers, as does Android, the comparison is instructive.

Whatever else the results may be, they indicate a fairly-dramatic shift in end user demand from QWERTY keyboards and email centric behavior to touch screens and web activity.

BlackBerry Satisfaction Plummets, Changewave Finds

Though end user satisfaction with the iPhone has remained fairly constant over the last year, Research in Motion BlackBerry devices seem to have suffered a dramatic decline in satisfaction, dropping from a high of about 55 percent in January 2008 to June 2010, Changewave Research reports.

A reasonable observer would suggest this portends some trouble for RIM, the reception issues with the new iPhone 4 notwithstanding.

BlackBerry To Introduce First Touchscreen Devices to Rival iPhone

I loved my BlackBerry when I first began using one years ago. Over time, my business reasons for using a smartphone have changed, with the biggest change being that email is no longer mission critical, but web apps are way more important. As much as I have loved composing text messages on a BlackBerry, the web experience has simply gotten to be painful.

Maybe RIM's new line will fix that. I'm not saying I'd go back, as I am more intrigued by Android devices. I do miss my keyboard, though.

RIM Readying Tablet PC, New BlackBerry OS

Research In Motion Ltd. is  testing a touch-screen smartphone with a slide-out keyboard, the Wall Street Journal reports. The phone runs on a new version of the BlackBerry operating system and works much like an iPhone, letting users swipe through screens and expand images with their fingers. It also has a universal search bar that lets users scour all the phone's data and some data online as well.

RIM is also is reported to be experimenting with a tablet device to serve as a larger-screen companion to its BlackBerry phone. That device, which is in an early stage of development, will connect to cellular networks when tethered to a BlackBerry phone.

The new offerings come as RIM faces increased competition from devices built by Apple and those that run on the Android operating system from Google Inc.

RIM still sells more smartphones globally than any company besides Nokia Corp., and last year grabbed 19 percent of the world market for smartphones, according to  Strategy Analytics. But RIM's share of the North American market is slipping.

RIM's share of the North American smartphone market by shipments dropped to 38 percent in the March 2010 quarter from 54 percent in the first quarter of 2009.

Apple's share climbed from 18 percent to 23 percent over the same period.

The new slate device comes with four gigabytes of storage space and a five megapixel camera, the Wall Street Journal reports.

RIM is also readying a new Internet browser that renders Web pages much faster than the current browser, and allows users to access more than one Web page at a time, people familiar with the device said.

Mobile Web Use: Android Grows, iPhone Drops

Android’s share of mobile Web consumption in North America has gone from just five percent to 20 percent from January 2009 to May 2010, while the iPhone OS has dropped from about 75 percent to 59 percent, according to Quantcast.

The BlackBerry OS accounts for 10.4 percent, and all others combined account for roughly 11 percent.

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iPad Browser Share Already Beating Android, BlackBerry

Though there are only two million iPads in the market, the iPad's share of the global browser market is already bigger than Android, BlackBerry, and the iPod touch, according to Morgan Stanley.

Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty says iPad usage is closer to a PC than a smartphone, which is not really surprising, since it's designed for web browsing. What is shocking is the rapid emergence of the iPad as a web appliance.

CHART OF THE DAY: iPad Browser Share Already Beating Android, BlackBerry

Tawkon App Provides High RF Level Warnings

If you worry about radio frequency radiation coming from your mobile, and you use some BlackBerry models, you can download a $10 app that provides both a monitor and alerting system if your device is putting out excessively strong signal.

That can happen if you are inside a building with thick walls, if you are far from the closest cell tower, are in a deep signal fade area or even if you are holding the device in a way that increases signal interference.