BlackBerry

Remember BlackBerry phones? The stylish phone brand, known for being the ultimate corporate companion, sends chills down the spines of every 90s kid who grew up in a world before smartphones. Since BlackBerry’s introduction in 1999, the phone rapidly became an iconic device, favoured by consumers and businesses alike. However, the company’s once-dominant market share is nowhere to be found today. So, what happened to Canada’s once-tech giant?

The rise of BlackBerry

Before the iPhone and Android, Blackberry was the phone to have. It was the ultimate productivity tool for the busy, professional, executive type. The smartphone came with a lifesaver, BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), a messaging application that was known for its convenience and security in the enterprise mobile world. It allowed for efficient communication and collaboration mostly for businesses and government. Blackberry’s main features, including its hardware keyboard, sturdy construction, and email push notifications, became a hit among its target market: high-stress, high-performance business people. It was the tool to have, an essential in business.

Looking at the numbers; in 2010, BlackBerry phones represented 20% of the smartphones sold worldwide. In the same year, RIM (Research in Motion), Blackberry’s parent company, was valued higher than Facebook, but that would change within five years.

The fall of BlackBerry

The brand’s downturn began when Apple introduced the iPhone in 2007, which became a game-changer for the tech industry. The iPhone, with a multi-touch display, innovative design, and an intuitive operating system, opened up possibilities for app use and gaming. It was enjoyable, easy to use and was more than a tool for productivity; it became a part of pop culture.

Android phones were the second wave, entering the market and introducing lower-priced phones with a wider selection. Coupled with the diversity and affordability, and robust hardware, they were a dominant force against traditional cell phone manufacturers.

BlackBerry failed to respond adequately to the rapid changes of the mobile world, choosing to stick with its current device design and playbook, despite its declining sales through the years. The company refused to see that the rising power of softwares and apps became the mainstream way their clients were using their phones instead of basic communication and productivity functions. Instead, they focused on hardware and persistent product differentiation, like the Bold series and Torch, instead of developing software platforms to adapt to changing trends.

As a result, investing in BlackBerry became less beneficial for investors, resulting in a loss of nearly $70bn from its peak market value of $84bn, culminating in its decline in the market, in sales and influence. The enterprise-centric ecosystem that the BlackBerry had built for themselves became irrelevant as users started to adapt cloud computing and mobile apps.

The present-day BlackBerry

Nowadays, BlackBerry mainly focus on app development that integrates with Apple and Android devices, under a licensing agreement with TCL Communication. The company’s main assets now are their patents on encryption technology and low-level microkernel operating system, QNX, that can be found in various automotive applications.

Conclusion

BlackBerry may no longer be the big name in smartphones in the tech world, but its place in history is still undeniable. BlackBerry revolutionized mobile technology and popularized the concept of mobile office suites. It paved the way for the evolution of smartphones as we know them now. But due to the company’s reluctance to adapt to changes, it failed to innovate and fell behind the competition. BlackBerry’s unfortunate decline is a cautionary tale about how important it is to evolve and innovate. That’s something every business owner and entrepreneur should take to heart.

In the end, the legacy of the BlackBerry is one that paved the way for the devices we use today by combining office productivity and mobile technology. It was the phone that connected people and work seamlessly, and nothing can take that away.