Tag Archives: ThorstenHeins

Inside look at BlackBerry reveals failed ‘SMS 2.0’ push, qualms over Z10 launch

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Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie

We're familiar with much of BlackBerry's history, but there are a few unanswered questions: why did Jim Balsillie resign his board position, for example? And why did the Z10 launch ahead of Q10, to disastrous results? Thankfully, The Globe and Mail has addressed some of these mysteries through a detailed exposé. We now know that Balsillie left the board after BlackBerry axed an "SMS 2.0" plan that would have replaced carriers' text services with BlackBerry Messenger. Thorsten Heins wanted the company to remain focused on hardware, according to the newspaper. As for the Z10? Heins reportedly prioritized the all-touch phone over the objections of board members like Mike Lazaridis, who saw the Q10's keyboard as necessary for standing out in a crowded market. There's even more to the story than these two revelations, so you'll want to visit the source link if you're wondering just how BlackBerry ended up in such dire straits.

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Source: The Globe and Mail

WSJ: BlackBerry sale likely to be wrapped up by November

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WSJ BlackBerry sale likely to be wrapped up by November

Details about an eventual sale of BlackBerry are slowly but surely starting to pick up steam. Following a confirmation from the Waterloo-based company about it being open to seeking "strategic alternatives," The Wall Street Journal is now reporting that members of the board are "aiming to run a fast auction process" which could be finalized as early as November of this year. Sourcing the well-informed people familiar with the matter, the publication goes on to say that BlackBerry has narrowed its list of potential buyers, with the sales process "expected to begin soon." We'll see how long it takes for Thorsten Heins and Co. to find someone interested in the troubled brand, but something tells us it won't be much longer before this story reaches its climax.

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Source: The Wall Street Journal

BlackBerry confirms it’s looking for ‘strategic alternatives’ such as sale or going private

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Remember the rumor that BlackBerry was planning to take itself private? Just a few days later and the company has confirmed that some very fundamental discussions are indeed taking place. In a press release, the Canadian smartphone maker revealed that a committee has been formed to look for "strategic alternatives" to push BlackBerry 10, which could involve a merger, selling the company or taking BlackBerry private. Naturally, there's no indication that anything will actually change at the beleaguered company, but at least we know Thorsten Heins is actively pursuing new options.

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Via: The Globe and Mail

BlackBerry confirms one BB7-based phone shipping later this year

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BlackBerry Bold 9720 leak

BlackBerry may see BB10 as the future of the company, but it isn't breaking with the past quite yet. Thorsten Heins just told those at BlackBerry's annual shareholder meeting that there will be one BB7-based phone this year. While he didn't elaborate further, there's a good chance he's referring to the Bold 9720 that reportedly leaked just hours ago. Don't expect a wide resurgence of BB7 devices, however. Heins mentioned that BlackBerry won't have more than six devices on sale at a time, and most of those slots will be occupied by BB10 hardware.

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Source: BlackBerry

Thorsten Heins: tablets aren’t a good business model, BlackBerry aiming to lead mobile computing in five years

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Thorsten Heins tablets aren't a good business model, BlackBerry aiming to lead mobile computing in five years

Holding out for a post-RIM version of the PlayBook? That waiting likely won't end any time soon. BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins used an interview yesterday to discuss the mobile environment five years out. Seems he's feeling particularly bullish about his own company's prospects. "In five years, I see BlackBerry to be the absolute leader in mobile computing -- that's what we're aiming for," he told the interviewer. "I want to gain as much market share as I can, but not by being a copycat."

Not being a copycat may likely involve staying away from the crowded tablet market. "In five years I don't think there'll be a reason to have a tablet anymore," according to the CEO. "Maybe a big screen in your workspace, but not a tablet as such. Tablets themselves are not a good business model." This certainly isn't the first time the exec has expressed caution about the space in the wake of the PlayBook's lukewarm reception. Heins has mentioned in the past that the company won't jump back into tablets unless it sees the potential for profits.

Update: BlackBerry has since issued an official response to the interview,

The comments that Thorsten made yesterday are in line with previous comments he has made about the future of mobile computing overall, and the possibilities that come with a platform like BlackBerry 10. We continue to evaluate our tablet strategy, but we are not making any shifts in that strategy in the short term. When we do have information about our PlayBook strategy, we will share it.

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Source: Bloomberg

Thorsten Heins: BlackBerry won’t sell sub-$50 phones

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Thorsten Heins BlackBerry wont sell sub$50 phones

Squint and you'll find a few neat parallels between BlackBerry and Nokia. Both are fallen giants which are staking their livelihoods on a nascent OS, while the former is a Canadian run by a European, and vice-versa. The one point where the pair's philosophies differ, however, is on the low-end market. While Nokia strove to embrace low-end phones like the Asha and the 105. Thorsten Heins has said he has no interest in producing budget phones for the developing world. At a question and answer session at the company's Waterloo HQ, the CEO was quoted as saying "You will not see us getting into the 50-, 60-buck phone segment. This is not BlackBerry." The move might alienate those who thought the Z10's elevated price in places like India was a bit excessive -- but at least Stephen Elop's got something for every wallet size.

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Source: Bloomberg

Research in Motion now known as BlackBerry

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RIM CEO Thorsten Heins just announced that Research in Motion is no longer known as "RIM," and will be simply known as "BlackBerry" going forward. "We have reinvented the company, and we want to represent this in our brand," Heins said. The company's new tagline, as seen above, is "One brand. One promise." Of course, given that RIM BlackBerry only makes BlackBerry devices, that's the logic there.

"We have transformed ourselves inside and out, and we have defined a revision, a dedication to the boundless opportunities in mobile computing," Heins added. "Our customers use BlackBerry. Our employees work for BlackBerry, and our shareholders are owners of BlackBerry. From today on, we are BlackBerry everywhere in the world," he said. The company's stock ticker is also reflecting the new name (it's now "BBRY"), so the change is being reflected literally everywhere.

Gallery: RIM becomes BlackBerry

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The Engadget Interview: RIM CEO Thorsten Heins on BlackBerry 10, QWERTY keyboards and changing cultures (video)

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The Engadget Interview Thorsten Heins on BlackBerry 10, QWERTY keyboards and the changing culture at RIM video

January 30th, 2013 marks the beginning of a new era for RIM. It will put to rest those doubters who questioned whether the company could survive long enough to complete its painful transition away from BlackBerries past and onto BlackBerry 10. The question then becomes what the market will do with this wholly new OS -- whether RIM can be more successful at regaining its former smartphone stature than Microsoft has thus far proven to be with its own mobile OS reboot. If there's one person who has put more thought into that situation than any other its RIM President and CEO Thorsten Heins, a man who will be celebrating something else in January: his first anniversary at the top. How has culture changed at RIM over that year and what can we expect from the company in the weeks and months to come? Answers to those questions and more in our full interview below.

Continue reading The Engadget Interview: RIM CEO Thorsten Heins on BlackBerry 10, QWERTY keyboards and changing cultures (video)

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BlackBerry 10 launch event to be held on January 30th

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BlackBerry 10 launch event to be held on January 30th

As RIM gradually inches towards the eventual launch of its new mobile OS, the company's now pinned down a concrete date for BlackBerry 10's full unveiling. It's the other side of 2012 and will happen "simultaneously in multiple countries around the world" on January 30th. No specifics on those lucky territories just yet, but RIM's official blog states that we'll hear availability (hopefully both prices and dates) for two new BB10 smartphones at the event. There's no full press release just yet, but you can see what CEO Thorsten Heins has to say about it after the break.

Update: The press release is now out -- we've added it below.

Continue reading BlackBerry 10 launch event to be held on January 30th

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BlackBerry 10 launch event to be held on January 30th originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Nov 2012 07:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIM’s latest milestone: BlackBerry 10 now being tested by over 50 carriers

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RIM's latest milestone: BlackBerry 10 now being tested by over 50 carriers

Not much is going to make us excited about the BlackBerry world until RIM's latest devices actually ship, but today's announcement from Thorsten Heins is certainly good news in that regard. Today, he revealed that BlackBerry 10 units are now in the testing labs of more than 50 carriers, a necessary milestone that suggests the first BlackBerry 10 devices are still on track for a Q1 2013 debut. Naturally, it's a shame that the company is going to miss the holiday season, but if you have a BlackBerry fan in your life, we suppose there's always room for an IOU in their stocking. In the meantime, you'll find the full statement from RIM's CEO after the break.

Continue reading RIM's latest milestone: BlackBerry 10 now being tested by over 50 carriers

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RIM's latest milestone: BlackBerry 10 now being tested by over 50 carriers originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Oct 2012 18:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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