What if BlackBerry Surpasses iOS and Android

BlackBerry may have lost its mojo to iOS and Android devices, but the fact still remains there that the Canadian company has some of the most robust devices and services that currently exist. But the question of technological superiority becomes mute when they are consistently losing market share. It’s worth looking into, to find the cause behind this apparent anomaly. While the company always struggled to find its foothold in the consumer market, it held leadership in corporate and enterprise market. However, now it is losing that even that edge to Apple and Google.

Many BlackBerry services are struggling to gain traction, despite their superior features and architecture. Point in case is BBM, arguably one of the best messaging apps around. But in the world of WhatsApp, BBM looks completely lost. BlackBerry is continually pumping resources to keep its messaging app up to date and full of new features, but nothing seems to be working and the users still remain wary.

The biggest cause of concern is the WhatApp’s popularity despite its lax security features. The app attracts thousands of new subscribers every month, who seem to be completely oblivious to its security flaws. BBM app, on the other hand, is languishing although it has one of the best security features in the market. BlackBerry needs to look deep inside to see why it is not able to leverage its technological superiority. Is this due to lack of marketing efforts?

But it is not the products or marketing efforts, it is the general apathy towards BlackBerry that is hurting its business the most. The company is not able to generate enough buzz in the market and consequently its superior products and services are getting ignored by the masses. The Canadian company still has legions of dedicated fans, but the general public is more or less blasé about its services.

What BlackBerry lacks is the charisma and a charismatic leader. Apple had Steve Jobs, who single handedly took the company to new heights. In today’s marketing driven market, it is a good story, more than a good product or service which sells. In order to stand apart from the growing crowd in smartphone market, BlackBerry needs to concoct a beautiful, mesmerizing story to sell its products.

Another step that BlackBerry needs to take is to jazz up its devices and services. While its services are robust and secure, they lack the zing factor craved by mass media. This also explains why BlackBerry is more popular with the corporate sector, which value features over form. However, in order to survive in the consumer market, BlackBerry needs to go beyond mere utility.

In today’s market, form is more coveted than features. The call of the time is that the Canadian company adds charm to its technologically proven services. It needs to capture the mass market while retaining its position in the enterprise sector. Its new OS is already gaining favor in the market and the recent Heartbleed outbreak highlighted the superior security features of BlackBerry services. It is time to capitalize this opportunity.