For the last few weeks, this blog has covered the mobile device press events of three of the major players in the industry. Apple, Microsoft and Google all have devices and operating systems available or on their way for the holiday shopping season, however a former powerhouse has been very quiet during these times.
Research In Motion – the creators of the BlackBerry – has been making more headlines for reducing employee headcount than creating innovation recently, but it looks like that may be about to change. According to a press release from the company, the long delayed BlackBerry 10 is finally in the testing phase and is expected to be available to consumers on March 2013.
“We made this commitment during our recent results conference call and we have delivered,” RIM CEO Thorsten Heins said in the release. “This process will continue in the coming months as more carriers around the world formally evaluate the devices and our brand new software.”
Heins added that he has been on the road showing off the new system and that first impressions have been “tremendous.” He added that strong application development is going to be the key to the new phone’s success.
For the former king of the mobile device market, BlackBerry 10 could be the last chance for RIM to gain relevance again. The news of progress caused the company’s stock prices to jump 9 percent, so it is clear the market is eagerly awaiting the return of a serious contender. However, with organizations like the Defense Department opening up the doors to other brands of smartphones, one must wonder if it is too little too late.
Regardless of how BlackBerry 10 plays out on the market, it is sure to affect the bring-your-own-device policies that IT departments are dealing with.
According to a press release from the company, the long delayed BlackBerry 10 is finally in the testing phase and is expected to be available to consumers on March 2013.
