What RIM Can Do to Secure Its Market Position Once Again

By Thea Neuman (Google)

There may soon come up a situation for RIM when the management of this Ontario based tech-giant would find itself caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.

RIM is surrounded by many troubles but still it has something from which it can gain sufficient inspiration. And this source of inspiration is none other than Apple Inc.

Apple set a milestone by overcoming all the obstacles that were hindering its growth. The company had just 90 days in hand for bringing itself back to high growth path. How Steve Jobs pulled a miracle within 90 days is certainly an inspirational story, so when this Cupertino-based company can make a fresh roaring comeback, what is stopping RIM, especially considering that it has a huge fan following. There are few things where RIM can follow the example of Steve Jobs.

Clear focus on Creating a USP

“Successful people don’t do different things they do things differently”. It is one of the key strategies that leading companies do swear by. In spite of having so many troubles, Apple didn’t opt for mediocre ways or short cuts for instant success, so if RIM is determined to stick to quality benchmark then it is certainly a wise decision not to follow the crowd blindly.

Major changes in Top Management

RIM needs to make sure that it is appointing right people on right positions. Only time will tell if their choices are right. This is not the time for trial and error, so appointing new people on key positions should be done carefully. Another important thing is that instead of just being a copy cat it should weigh the pros and cons before following another company’s actions.

Focusing on Its Core Competencies

Instead of trying many things at the same time, RIM should focus on its core competencies, which lie in corporate end-users. If RIM wants to lure other consumers apart from business class then it will have to chalk out effective and aggressive marketing plans. Aggressive marketing strategies will only bear fruit if BB 10 devices possess additional superior features than its competitors.

Release a Radical Operating System

Call it whole-hearted efforts with a bit of luck, Apple was able to deliver cutting edge OS which changed the fate of the company, and if RIM is hoping to do the same through its upcoming BB 10 OS then it needs to go an extra mile. For that, it needs to grab the attention of world’s best developers. Without developers’ support, BB 10 might fall wide off the mark.

A Sound Ecosystem

Though turbulences faced by both companies may appear somewhat same but there lies a vast difference between the strengths they both possess. While at one side Apple had an effective ecosystem, on the other hand, RIM lacks a sound ecosystem. When it comes to consumer base, Apple does cater to masses while Blackberry has been tagged as a business phone. In order to gain mass confidence, RIM should ensure that it doesn’t lose those USPs which have been luring corporate end-users all these years.

It all depends on right timing and right strategies. We hope that RIM will not only learn from Apple but it will also try to come up with some original ideas to create another milestone after Apple.