Sources close to former RIM co-CEO
Jim Balsillie have revealed his plans to save the company before he was shown the door, a plan that
didn't involve handsets. He'd entered into talks with
AT&T,
Verizon and several European carriers to offer them use of the company's
BlackBerry-exclusive network to provide limited data plans to featurephone users that included social networking and
BBM -- with the aim of reducing the cellphone operators data burden and coaxing users to upgrade to smartphones. The company was working on
Mobile Fusion; software that allowed enterprise and government users on iOS and Android devices to join RIM's system, which reportedly earns the company $1 billion per quarter. However, while talks progressed, company execs grew nervous and ousted him in favor of
Thorsten Heins with a mandate to focus on
BB10 and
new devices rather than turning RIM into a service company. However, given that it's still losing money on its handset business, Heins has reopened the door to Balsillie's plan. It's just a shame Balsillie himself is keeping quiet, as we'd love to hear his thoughts in an executive-level edition of
How Would you Change.
Former RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie's very different rescue plan revealed originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Apr 2012 09:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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