BlackBerrys Enterprise “Death Grip”

zombie handshake Sorry I could not help but use the turn of phrase a friend suggested. While studies and reports are not shining a positive light on RIM they still have a fortress in the heart of enterprise communication. As CNN points out there is a reason why users stick with BlackBerry devices and it usually starts by their employer giving them a BlackBerry.

The BlackBerry platform dominates the enterprise market and has a veritable “Death Grip” on those customers. Don’t get me wrong the competition is slowly chipping away at RIM’s fortress of enterprise communication but RIM has a simple answer for that. If a handheld is susceptible to attack by a simple PDF or TIFF image like the iPhone and Android then you have a serious issue. RIM has had their own issues with PDF attachments in the past but they have fixed them within days and provided enterprises with a quick solution every time.

CNN mentions 3 reasons why users keep on coming back to their BlackBerrys:

  • The keyboard
  • The red light
  • & the “business-iy” status symbol

I totally agree with them and think that security is the glue that sticks this trifecta together. RIM has built a strong name for itself with certifications galore stating that they contain rock solid security. They sacrifice quite a few features on the altar of security but for the enterprise market this really makes them a shoe in. Regular consumers are still going to pester their IT departments to support Android and iPhone devices but many companies cannot accept the risks associated with them. When you add the features like Mobile Voice System with Wi-Fi calling and secure internal communication then businesses still have a strong value proposition to choose BlackBerry. This security is something that is currently getting RIM in trouble in India and the Middle east.

On the other hand some internal research from Good Technologies suggests that RIM might be slowly losing their “Death Grip” on the enterprise market. According to Good (which has a alternative motive in this case since they sell products for other devices):

  • 43% of all corporate users use iPhone and Android – employees want their work info on their personal phones and IT has been forced to support it (which is a good thing for corporations, since they don’t have to pay for corporate Blackberry’s anymore)
  • 20% of all corporations now support 3 or more phone operating systems – pretty surprising, considering less than a year ago it was mostly Rim and iPhone. This just points to the fact that corporations anticipate that they need to now support whatever the employees want and are open to supporting the flavors du jour

So what do you think? Will RIM continue their domination of the enterprise market?

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