RIM: BlackBerry 10 delay not a problem

 

Gallery

By Reuters

Posted on 10 Jul 2012 at 08:38

The delay in launching the long awaited BlackBerry 10 range of handsets could be a blessing in disguise, giving retailers more time to focus on the revamped smartphones, according to Research in Motion’s optimistic new marketing boss.

Frank Boulben said the launch delay from late 2012 to early 2013 - missing the crucial Christmas shopping season - would not be a death blow to RIM.

"The short delay is not detrimental if the quality is there when we launch early next year," Boulben said. "We will have much more attention and focus and ability to leverage our carriers."

We do not believe RIM is a company at the end. RIM is a company at the beginning of a transition

RIM, which has lost market share to Apple's iPhone and devices using Google's Android software, has launched an unprecedented drive to win back customer faith over the past week, including a radio appearance by CEO Thorsten Heins where he said there was "nothing wrong" with the company.

Heins also published opinion pieces in newspapers in which he said the new BlackBerrys, which the company insists will be better than anything currently on the market, would "empower people as never before".

"We do not believe RIM is a company at the end," he wrote. "RIM is a company at the beginning of a transition that we expect will once again change the way people communicate."

Last month the company reported a steep loss and announced thousands of job cuts, as well as the delay in the launch of its BlackBerry 10 devices, which start from scratch in terms of software code and integration with RIM's secure network.