Posted on July 9, 2009, at 8:40 AM .
Canaccord Adams analyst Peter Misek is upgrading RIM’s status to Buy from Hold, as recent channel checks with global carriers and partners suggesting the company had a healthy June. Although share price has lost nearly a quarter of its value since last month, the summer tends to be a slow season for the smartphone market.
That being said, BlackBerry sales with AT&T grew in the double digits month-over-month in June. With the launch of the BlackBerry Tour 9630, as well as the upcoming BlackBerry Gemini 8520, RIM is releasing more devices that has convinced Mr. Misek that RIM isn’t losing any momentum.
Even under lacklustre consumer spending conditions, Peter Misek is more comfortable with the company’s risk/reward profile now that the stock is trading at roughly 14 times Canaccord’s forward 12-month earnings projections.
RIM has demonstrated an ability to grow in very difficult conditions due to its stronghold in the enterprise and strong carrier relationships, the analyst said.
Canaccord’s price target for RIM remains at US$95 per share.
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Posted on June 25, 2009, at 9:52 AM .
In a recent survey, forty percent of smartphone users who don’t already own an iPhone said they would switch to the Apple handset for their next purchase, nearly three times the percentage of non-Blackberry users who would switch to a BlackBerry.
The online survey was conducted May 19 to June 8, by market researcher Crowd Science and found that only 14 percent of non-Blackberry users wanted to switch to that family of devices.
There are a few problems with the nature of this survey which should be pointed out. First of all, iPhone fans have a greater presence on the Internet. A quick view of Google’s most searched terms places iPhone above BlackBerry which could mean that Apple fans are skewing these numbers. Secondly, we can’t be sure of the validity of those filling out the survey. Did they really not own a smartphone? Did the survey use geo-targeting to ensure they were in the North American market? These could all make the survey less valid.
In the end, RIM will be saturating the market with a wider variety of handsets, and therefore is better positioned to capture a larger share of the smartphone market. While you may love the new iPhone, and it is getting a lot of hype, remember that there are many types of smartphone consumers and the iPhone can’t satisfy them all. RIM on the other hand, can offer a smartphone for every user, be it the Power User and their Bold, or the introductory user and their free Pearl.
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Posted on June 19, 2009, at 2:13 PM .
Kuwait now has access to the full range of BlackBerry services. VIVA, Alcatel-Lucent and RIM have announced the launch of devices such as the BlackBerry Curve 8900 and BlackBerry Bold as well as service with BlackBerry Enterprise Server and BlackBerry Internet Service.
Based on its distribution agreement with RIM, Alcatel-Lucent is leveraging its strong local presence in the region to provide VIVA with end-to-end support services for the BlackBerry solution. With Alcatel-Lucent managing integration and deployment, VIVA can focus on delivering customer facing services, enabling the operator to quickly meet market demand.
This trend is indicative of the Middle Eastern strategy with carriers and RIM. While the Middle East provides ample opportunity for low end devices and prepaid solutions, the majority of Middle Eastern countries are getting the “luxury line” of BlackBerry devices such as the 8900 and Bold. I’m curious to see if carriers begin selling Pearl devices in these regions.
Posted on June 19, 2009, at 1:32 PM .
New Canadian legislation is forcing Internet service providers to make it possible for police and intelligence officers to intercept online communications and get personal information about subscribers, in a “timely” manner without a warrant. This personal information includes names, address and internet addresses.
The bill will allow law enforcement officials to obtain transmission data that is sent or received via telephone and require telecommunications companies to keep data related to specific communications or subscribers if that information is needed in an investigation and requested via a preservation order.
While it is important for police and government officials to prevent the spread of illegal materials such as child pornography and arrest those involved in serious illegal activities, one must wonder how technically viable this bill actually is.
Regardless of whether the carrier allows the interception of voice and data coming from your BlackBerry, your device can be very easily encrypted, making it impossible to listen in. One such product that will do this, is G&D’s mobile security card. With this security card you can save data and have it encrypted in case of theft. The card also provides you with secure email, device protection and even voice encryption. With companies such as G&D, this legislation is quickly rendered obsolete.
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