Why Is RIM Looking For An iPhone Developer?
You may have already heard the rumors that started floating around yesterday, however, in case you haven’t Apple Insider is reporting that Research in Motion has a new internal job listing which suggests that the BlackBerry maker is looking for an iPhone developer. Most of the details about the position are hidden.
As part of a newly-created team, you’ll influence the development and design of BlackBerry software,” the listing reads. “This is a very confidential brand new team and a senior position within RIM so I can’t provide too many details. I guess you can figure out what it might be about though.
I guess there are a couple of ways you could go with this. RIM is definitely working on a touch screen BlackBerry. Maybe they are looking for someone with expertise on the iPhone’s interface. The issue I see here is that it will take them years to come up with something as good as the iPhone’s interface and as I’ve said before, RIM cannot out Apple Apple.
The other thought is that RIM is looking for an iPhone developer to actually develop software for the iPhone. The question here is what BlackBerry software could RIM possibly want to run on the iPhone? I’ve got two words for you…
BlackBerry Connect…
A lot of people are going to say that BlackBerry Connect has really never taken off. I believe, however, that this was not because of a shortcoming in BlackBerry Connect. There has been, in my opinion, no device readily available in the United States that truly could even compete with the BlackBerry on a hardware stand point. Why buy an inferior device that could get email like a BlackBerry when the device you truly want is a BlackBerry in the first place?
This was pretty much the case until the iPhone shipped last June. Needless to say, the iPhone is doing pretty well with consumers that would not have nor would they ever be interested in a BlackBerry. Many of these very consumers, however, work for corporations that would be more than happy to try to squeeze more productivity out of them by allowing them to get corporate email on their personal device especially if the company can leverage the investment in BES that they’ve already made and the employee is the one funding the device.
BlackBerry Connect on an iPhone addresses so many of the IT concerns that Apple will face as they try to move in on RIM’s turf. They way I see it, BlackBerry Connect on an iPhone would be a win/win for both Research in Motion and Apple.
What do you think?
Written by Robb Dunewood on April 30th, 2008 with
10 comments.
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bluehorseshoe
JT
TJ in Waterloo
foo
#1. April 30th, 2008, at 1:55 PM.
I loved the BGR headline…sensationalism at it’s best. So overdone.
As for the developer, I’d agree that’s it’s for BB Connect on the iPhone. The fact is, BB has an outstanding product in BB Connect, and if they ever decide to do away with the physical phone portion of their Business Model, they’d still be able to survive as a company with higher profit margins.
Look at MS, they practically lose money on the XBox, but make their $$$ on the games (Software). In a way, the same goes for HP and their printers. The printer is low margin, but man those cartridges bring the $$$ in.
So if RIM is looking to add BB Connect to the iPhone as an offering, then it would certinaly make things interesting in the world of cell phones and mobile devices.
PS - It makes some sense too that Apple is willing to open their doors to BB Connect. They did so with Boot Camp, which has opened the eyes for IT Managers in cross platform shops.