 |
|
|
RIM’s New Pearl Adds Style and Multimedia to Broaden Its Customer Base beyond the Large Enterprise| September 11, 2006 | Enterprise Mobility - U.S. | Competitive Intelligence Report Analysts: Avi Greengart, Kathryn "Kitty" Weldon
On September 7th Research In Motion announced the small and stylish BlackBerry Pearl. The Pearl is the first BlackBerry to include a 1.3MP camera, multimedia capabilities, and an expandable memory slot, while continuing to provide the full BlackBerry e-mail experience. The BlackBerry Pearl is a mere 4.2" x 1.97" x .57" and it weighs just 3.1 ounces. The Pearl will be available in the U.S. from T-Mobile beginning September 12 for $199 with contract. • Current Perspective: Very positive on RIM’s BlackBerry 8100 (Pearl) at T-Mobile, which goes beyond the expected multimedia functionality and re-imagines the BlackBerry as a small, thin fashion phone. T-Mobile is pricing it at a reasonable $199 (the same price as Motorola’s Q over at Verizon Wireless), but unlimited e-mail/data plans start at just $19.99 per month. • Vendor Importance: High to RIM, because while it was busy fighting NTP in court, its competitors have been circling, hoping to muscle in on RIM’s enterprise niche. The most common approach has been to attack from the side by adding multimedia functionality that RIM had been unwilling to incorporate into the BlackBerry. By creating a multimedia BlackBerry of its own (complete with IT-friendly controls over the use of the camera, media player, and third-party applications), RIM is effectively defending its core customer base while broadening its reach to prosumers. • Market Impact: Moderate on the enterprise mobility market, since the large enterprise is not the primary target market for the Pearl. Still, RIM has finally addressed two constituencies its past products missed: prosumers who were attracted to competitive smartphones with cameras and MP3 players and image-conscious consumers (especially Europeans) who do not want to carry a device that looks like a boat anchor tying them to their work. Recommended Competitor Actions • Palm needs to innovate. It has not created a new phone device form factor or broadened its user base since it launched the Treo 600 over four years ago. • Nokia has a long to-do list. It needs to kill Series 80 and build an Eseries Communicator instead. It desperately needs distribution in the U.S., which also dictates building a CDMA Eseries line. • Samsung needs to educate the market on why the t719 (listed as “coming soon” at T-Mobile) makes sense beyond just the clamshell form factor. It should promote the fact that a BBC (BlackBerry Connect) device is a consumer device first with e-mail access second; no IT manager can turn off your MP3 player. • Motorola needs to fix the Q’s keyboard, convince Verizon Wireless to lower the unlimited data price to attract more casual users, and get the HSDPA version to market sooner rather than later. • HTC needs to execute better with U.S. carriers. The Taiwanese company actually has several competitive devices on the market globally, such as the “Star Trek.” While these devices are now expected to reach the U.S. market imminently, they have been slow to arrive in the market just the same. Recommended End User / Customer Actions •Companies with a BES looking to mobilize e-mail more broadly should take a long look at the BlackBerry Pearl. • The Pearl is also a good choice for individuals looking for a phone with strong e-mail capabilities who are willing to invest the time and effort into learning the BlackBerry’s menu system, keyboard shortcuts, and the SureType keyboard system. • Road warriors looking for an e-mail-oriented smartphone should consider RIM’s 8700 series first; while it is not as sleek and attractive as the Pearl, the full QWERTY keyboard is worth the compromise on size. • Consumers looking for e-mail and PIM functionality who are willing to sacrifice form factor for ease of use and application extensibility should choose a Palm 700p instead.
More from Current Analysis:
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
|
|
Current Perspective: Very Positive 
OFFICES |
|
