Research In Motion Limited (NASDAQ:RIMM) (TSE:RIM) CIO Robin BienAfait has reassured disappointed enterprise Blackberry users on the upcoming Blackberry 10 smartphones slated for the first quarter of fiscal 2013. “We are committed to our customers and want to see them successful,” she remarked at an interview in the recent MobileCon trade show. Her remarks acted as a response to widely voiced complaints from Research In Motion Limited (NASDAQ:RIMM) (TSE:RIM) customers who have on several occasions lamented over the company’s smartphone and its Blackberry Enterprise server.
BienAfait also revealed that she had engaged in talks with 180 CIOs, most of whom operate within the company’s potent U.S. market. This comes in light of Research In Motion Limited (NASDAQ:RIMM) (TSE:RIM)’s thickening share of controversy, following looming fears inspired by the outage that affected global Blackberry users a year ago. In addition to these fears, Blackberry customers are also dissatisfied in the slackening pace at which the company is rolling out its smartphones, including the Blackberry 7 in the U.S. market.
BienAfait gave a quick inside scoop of what to expect from the yet to be launched Blackberry 10, as well as the Blackberry Enterprise Server 10, which will be launched concurrently with the new smartphone. She revealed that major emphasis would be placed on security. Although BienAfait’s position in the company is disposed to software service and support for the Blackberry 10 and other products, she noted that it was her responsibility to also provide oversight to the company’s operations, internal RIM IT, and the enterprise business unit.
The all important Blackberry 10
BienAfait’s optimistic address signals the importance of the yet to be launched Blackberry 10. The company is doing all it can to prepare the market for this smartphone, with company CEO Thorsten Heins noting that this device will be a game changer for the company. Heins actually believes that the launch of the device, slated for February 2013, will be the company’s actual turning point.
As we had previously documented, the yet to be launched Blackberry 10 has spawned a series of speculations. Notable analytical firms like Morgan Stanley and Barclays Equity Analysts, along with others, have voiced their different opinions. While Barclays believes that the new Blackberry will give Research In Motion Limited (NASDAQ:RIMM) (TSE:RIM) a boost, Morgan Stanley is inclined to believe that the Blackberry 10 won’t be the symbolic magic bullet that will save the embattled device maker from its woes.
At the time of writing, Research In Motion Limited (NASDAQ:RIMM) (TSE:RIM) was trading $7.82 after opening at $7.75 (prices that are mere fractions higher than its current 52-week low of $6.22).
