Thread: Discuss: RIM's Enterprise Customers Preparing For The Worst

It seems as though the uncertainty behind RIM's future is being debated by just about everyone. Expert analysts, business professionals, and everyday consumers all seem to have an opinion on the future of BlackBerry and RIM. No matter what the public opinion is, many company's are finding themselves in a precarious situation, and a preparing for the worst case scenario.

Over the past few years RIM's enterprise customer base has been a strong foundation for RIM's revenue. However, many company's are now asking themselves questions like, What happens if RIM goes under? How would we be affected if RIM were to be bought out? Questions like these are becoming all to common within RIM's enterprise level customers, and have force many technology decision makers within these company's to prepare for the worst.

RIM's enterprise customer base is starting to feel a little nervous regarding the future of RIM and want to make sure that their businesses will still be operational in the even of a disaster at RIM. Reasons like service disruption, and BYOD both contribute to the precautionary plans that many company's are creating or have implemented. Some company's fear is that in the event of takeover RIM's exclusive services would be shut down, leaving the company's data in an insecure state.

Company's like the internet-domain name provider GoDaddy, have put themselves in a position to switch users to iPhone or Android devices in a relatively short time. More company's are embracing iPads, iPhones, Android and other non BlackBerry devices because of the widespread Mobile Device Management Systems that allow them to manage their mobile devices in similar ways that BES allowed them to.

Other company's like Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co, started their planning for a BlackBerry disruption late last year and already have an environment in which they can securely deliver company data to their various mobile devices. The company which at one time had over 8,500 BlackBerry devices has dropped to 7,000 due to other smartphone platforms.

Overreaction, and paranoia some may use to describe the actions of these and other company's like them. The fact of the matter is that its simply a smart business decision. These and other fortune 500 company's need to make sure that they are one step ahead of the game and simply can't afford to gamble on the ramifications of a possible RIM takeover or some other traumatic event to the BlackBerry maker RIM.

The use of mobile device management systems have grown quite significantly over the past few years. Many vendors are capitalizing on RIM's current state, by extending their cross mobile device management solutions services to RIM's enterprise level customers.

source: Bloomberg

I don't think the DoD would have given a contract to BlackberryRIM if any of these rumors are true regarding Enterprise Level service disruption or RIM going under.

Originally Posted by rngeek1966

I don't think the DoD would have given a contract to BlackberryRIM if any of these rumors are true regarding Enterprise Level service disruption or RIM going under.

Good point but companies always have to be proactive in the event of a takeover.

Completely agree with your point of view