IBM Eyes RIM’s Enterprise Server

By Thea Neuman (Google)

The rumors of RIM’s acquisitions by any of the big tech giants have already started doing rounds despite the avowed intent of Thorsten Heins (RIM’s current CEO and President) to bring this Waterloo Ontario-based company back to the sound growth track.

Earlier it was Peter Misek, an analyst with Jefferies, who hinted towards a possibility that Samsung may be interested in buying RIM. If not acquisition then it may license RIM’s upcoming BB 10 and now if new reports from Bloomberg are to be believed, IBM may be interested in acquiring the Enterprise Unit of RIM.

However, nothing is out on an official note yet but according to an anonymous source, IBM is taking stock of the situation regarding buying the Enterprise Division which runs a secure servers network for extending support to its BB devices.

No matter how much enthusiasm is shown by RIM’s top executives related to company’s forthcoming BB 10 platform, deep down they all know that the company should have an ace up its sleeves.

RIM has been witnessing some or the other trouble continuously. The company failed in sustaining its position among leading 5 smart phone making companies and was out of the top 5 countdown list. RIM’s stock plummeted and results for fiscal Q1 2013 earnings were not up to the scratch. RIM also had to take some harsh decisions like downsizing its workforce by laying-off almost 5,000 employees which further blotted RIM’s copybook. The biggest thing which created much hue and cry was, delaying the release of BB 10 smart phones till early 2013.

This anonymous source also predicted that before taking a leap regarding any negotiation deal for acquisition, RIM would certainly like to wait till the release of BB 10 smart phones because these smart phones may prove to be a saving grace for the company. Till then, company has no option except cooling its heels. This unidentified source also revealed that right now no negotiations are under their way.

James Sciales (IBM’s spokesperson) as well RIM’s representative, Nick Manning, both preferred to remain tight-lipped over this new rumor that suggested about a possibility of acquisition of RIM’s Enterprise Unit by IBM.

Heins has already mentioned that he has roped in some leading investment banks like JP Morgan and RBC Capital Markets to help the company for framing its major strategies. There are no qualms that Heins would prefer an option of licensing RIM’s new BB 10 OS to another company over clinching an acquisition deal.

Considering the fact that Apple is all set to unveil its new iOS6 which is sure to prove as one of the most groundbreaking OS so far, there is no denial to the fact that RIM will have to face some more serious challenges in future. Lot of analysts and people are speculating that RIM will fail to make a dent with its upcoming so called radical BB 10 platform and will have to opt for the last resort which could be either a merger or an acquisition.

Nevertheless, if RIM has decided to give a whirl before giving up then it will have to stay focused by ignoring such rumors.