"The Blacker The Berry!"

It's time to Break It Down!

I remember 49; Happy Birthday Mr. President!

Mr. Obama has made history in numerous ways; many which have been recounted here in “Break It Down!” One of the early, debatably minor controversies of Team Obama and the tenure of Number 44 was whether the Commander-In-Chief (CIC) would be able to negotiate retaining his BlackBerry. As most of us know, POTUS prevailed in that skirmish.

BlackBerry, and its Canadian developer, Research In Motion, commonly know as RIM, now face a different challenge. The telecommunications giant has been presented with a gnarly dilemma. Last Sunday, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), threatened to block access to e-mail, web browsing and text messages on the popular Smartphone beginning Monday, October 11 if RIM, doesn't provide government access for security investigations. In addition, Tuesday, the Saudi Communications and Information Technology Commission asked mobile communications companies in Saudi Arabia to halt BlackBerry service in the kingdom beginning August 5, the official Saudi Press Agency reported.

So, it could be argued that, in a very real sense, “The Blacker the Berry, the Tighter the Security." After all, that is what this really story revolves around. A number of countries, including, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and India, have raised issues with RIM about its encryption service, which is in essence a secret code; one that apparently has proved too complex for these sovereign subdivisions to break.

To put it mildly, this is a dilemma RIM did not need. It may be surprising to some to learn, despite the flood of publicity that has accompanied Apple Inc’s 4th Generation iPhone, and the 3 that preceded it, and the more recent entry into the marketplace of Google’s Android products, BlackBerry is comfortably ensconced as the global market leader in the Smartphone business.

But for some time, critics have been noting a number of cracks in RIM’s armor. In fact, juxtaposed aside this still developing quagmire, RIM announced yesterday in New York City the introduction of the new BlackBerry Torch 9800 in tandem with its new Operating System, BlackBerry 6 OS. Why all the light and heat from the recognized Market Leader?

In a word, cachet! The iPhone has it. No, allow me to put that differently. The iPhone has “It; and the “Droid” family of Smartphones is developing “It,” quickly. The twin engines that drive iPhone and Droid have been the dual anchors around Blackberry’s virtual neck; a dynamic web browser and limitless applications. As a result, iPhone and Droid are trending upward, while RIM’s BB has been stagnant, and quite possibly poised for a downward spiral.

The Torch 9800 and BB 6 OS were supposed to at least stem the tide. The Torch is the first RIM product touted as intending to compete directly with the iPhone. Scheduled for release on August 12, its competitive spirit is expected to be augmented this fall (November) by the release of the BlackPad, to counter the iPad. Cue the tape; enter the intransigent Gulf States, UAE, and Saudi Arabia. Now, instead of taking on it chief business competitors, RIM will have to contemplate, devise, rollout, and execute a strategy for dealing with 2 Middle Eastern nations which have stated their intentions to deprive RIM of its one previously unparalleled advantage; security beyond breach.

On the surface, this may seem like a story devoid of urgency; a sort of flight of fancy for elitist phone snobs. After all, President Obama does carry a BlackBerry, right?

Nothing could be further from the case. Consider the far-reaching implications of such move. Surely you know other countries will follow suit. You may not be planning to visit UAE or Saudi Arabia, but if you travel outside the U.S. for business or pleasure, this “culture shift” could have a direct effect on you. Moreover, this heretofore rock solid security was not just RIM’s unparalleled advantage, it was the silver bullet that attracted and retained the business market. The key basis for RIM maintaining the leading position in the Smartphone marketplace is its Enterprise Market; the commitment by businesses, worldwide, based on their comfort, confidence, and trust that they could conduct transactions in a secure environment, using the device.

Any diminution of this trust factor; a Cardinal Principle for conducting business, will serve to degrade further an already unstable atmosphere for the economy here in America, and around the world. RIM partnered with AT&T to introduce BlackBerry 11 years ago, in 1999. A week from tomorrow, AT&T will again help launch a critical RIM product, the BlackBerry Torch 9800, in tandem with the BlackBerry 6 OS Operating System. The device will feature a beefed up web browser, and a greater array of applications than have been available in the past.

These are certainties. What is not assured is whether RIM will navigate and negotiate an agreement acceptable to UAE prior to October 11th, or to Saudi Arabia’s satisfaction, by tomorrow. The stakes are high. We will see soon whether, “The Blacker the Berry, the Tighter the Security” is still an accurate depiction of RIM’s place in the Smartphone market.

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com. A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lu8fTYsuas

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/03/limbaugh-tomorrow-is-obam_n_669081.html

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/mobile/08/02/blackberry.uae/index.html?hpt=T2

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/08/03/saudi.arabia.blackberry/index.html?iref=allsearch

http://www.switched.com/2010/08/02/uae-saudi-arabia-to-implement-blackberry-bans/

http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20100803/wl_csm/317726

http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=378010&version=1&template_id=36&parent_id=16

http://www.slashgear.com/blackberry-threatened-with-uae-and-saudi-arabia-ban-0296037/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/blackberry/7923334/US-to-push-for-lift-of-BlackBerry-ban.html

http://unplugged.rcrwireless.com/index.php/20100802/news/2371/saudi-uae-to-ban-blackberry-services/

http://www.efytimes.com/e1/fullnews.asp?edid=49012

http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2010/aug/02/uae-blackberry-crackdown-will-affect-visitors-too/?latest

http://mobile.venturebeat.com/2010/08/02/uae-and-saudi-arabia-to-ban-some-blackberry-functions-due-to-security-concerns/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Venturebeat+%28VentureBeat%29

http://www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidZAWYA20100527042318/Kuwait%3A%20BlackBerry%20ban%20proposal%20facing%20stiff%20opposition

http://www.pocketgamer.biz/r/Various/BlackBerry+Torch+9800/news.asp?c=22589

http://news.cnet.com/8301-30686_3-20012426-266.html