The crisis at Research In Motion

Lower than expected sales for its recent PlayBook tablet coupled with intense pressure from its financial investors to restructure its executive team has left the Waterloo, Ont.-based BlackBerry maker trying to fight off a disaster. Keep up to speed on our latest coverage of Research In Motion (RIM).

LATEST NEWS

Balsillie resigns as RIM tailspin continues
Sales and earnings plummet as the Waterloo, Ont.-based BlackBerry maker’s freefall continues

RIM’s peace offering: Free apps
The company’s mea culpa for its most recent service outages is to offer what it says is $100 worth of free software from BlackBerry App World, and, for enterprise customers, a month’s free support

Lararidis apologizes to BlackBerry customers

After four days of intermittant service, the co-CEOs finally face the public to express regret for the service provider’s biggest network failure. An industry analyst says it won’t cost RIM enterprise customers, but consumers will likely defect

RIM should go all-in on Android, shut down App World
OPINION: Reports suggest RIM will make its new QNX-enabled phones, which it plans to release early next year, fully compatible with Android apps. The move has the potential to be great, but only if done correctly

RIM’s new release offers same old BlackBerry, blogs say
BLOGOSPHERE: The Waterloo, Ont.-based handset maker refreshed its BlackBerry Bold and Torch lines on Wednesday. Many bloggers go their hands on the new devices and were left underwhelmed by the transitional BlackBerry 7 OS software

RIM cutting 2,000 jobs as COO announces retirement
Update: After BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion announces a mass layoff across all functions that amounts to 10 per cent of its global workforce, one analyst comments on the direction RIM may have to take

Why RIM is giving an expanded role to its CIO

OPINION Robin Bienfait will lead the company’s Enterprise Business Unit as part of a management shakeup

RIM ‘aimless’ with rumoured media box, analyst says
The BlackBerry maker could be set to enter the TV entertainment space with the BlackBerry Cyclone media box. Analysts weigh in on the rumoured device and how it fits in with the company’s core smart phone business

Does RIM’s fate rest on ‘beautiful’ new hardware design?
By Rafael Ruffolo

Smart phone industry observers argue for both a leadership shake-up and a significant redesign of the BlackBerry device. The debate about RIM and its BlackBerry brand rages on as the company prepares to host its annual shareholders meeting next week

Potential RIM takeover ‘horrible’ for Canada: Analyst
By Kathleen Lau

The industry is abuzz that Research In Motion Ltd. is ripe for a takeover after layoffs and a stock plunge on Monday. One analyst fears that whoever pursues the BlackBerry maker won’t have its long-term interests in mind

RIM may port BBM to Android, iOS4
By Rafael Ruffolo

OPINION: While RIM may be poised to own the global messaging market, its handset sales will take a major hit. Plus, what this means for some app developers

BLOGS AND OPINION

BlackBerry is ‘done,’ bloggers say
By Rafael Ruffolo

The Canadian smart phone maker took major criticism in the blogs this week, with some pundits predicting the demise of the enterprise handset

Blog Idol: RIM’s PlayBook disappoints another blogger
By Rafael Ruffolo

The bloggers talk about the federal election, RIM’s PlayBook and Gorilla clouds. Plus, one contestant is jealous of Wolf Blitzer’s BBM list

RIM has gone from innovator to follower
By ComputerWorld Canada Staff

OPINION: Why the imminent PlayBook tablet can’t be another me-too device

RIM-Microsoft deal not all doom and gloom, blogs say
By Rafael Ruffolo

Many in the Twittersphere are criticizing RIM’s move to make Microsoft Bing the default search and mapping technology on its BlackBerry OS platform. But some bloggers see light at the end of the tunnel for the embattled mobile players

CWC THIS WEEK: What’s wrong with the PlayBook?
By ComputerWorld Canada Staff
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