Editor’s Note: Related tickers: Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY), Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG), Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T), Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ)
There appears to be a new winner in the race for third place in the mobile platform war. Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)’s Android and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s iOS operating systems are still on top, but it now looks like more customers are gravitating toward the Windows Phone platform as an alternative to Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY). BlackBerry released its new mobile operating system, BlackBerry 10, early this year, but sales have been disappointing so far. In fact, Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) only shipped 2.7 million BlackBerry 10 devices last quarter. Meanwhile, Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK) says it shipped 7.4 million of its Lumia smartphones, which run Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s Windows Phone operating system. That number was lower than analysts had expected, but still higher than what Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) was able to pull off last quarter.
Two Tales of Plummeting Prices (NYTimes)
When a new digital device gets a big price cut, it’s usually good news for consumers, but it’s usually a sign of poor sales, too — even if the maker of the device doesn’t want to admit that publicly. Take the BlackBerry Z10 smartphone, which, after disappointing sales, dropped significantly in price just a few months after release. When it was released in the United States in March, the Z10 cost $200 with a contract. Now the Z10 is free at Best Buy with an AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) contract, or for $50 with Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ). In Canada, where the Z10 was released in February and where sales were stronger, the smartphone is $100 to $150. Or take Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s Surface tablet. It cost $500 when it was released in October, but it is now $350 on Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s Web site. Analysts estimate that demand for the tablet was weak during the holiday quarter.
BB won’t give India access to email (HindustanTimes)
It is official. Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) will not allow Indian security agencies to access emails of its enterprise services or corporate subscribers. It will only provide phone numbers and location of servers from which enterprise emails are sent and received. The government has also agreed to it. BlackBerry’s email and other data services are provided through operators. The company has agreed to offer interception solutions that allow decryption of BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) services, Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) pin-to-pin services and BlackBerry Internet Services (BIS). However for BlackBerry Enterprise Services (BES), the company will provide “meta data/call-related information and enterprise server identity for BES,” according to a note by the Department of Telecommunications.
BlackBerry Lays Off More Staff In Response to Fewer Sales (UCStrategies)
Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) has been unable to turn around sales and meet the expectations of analysts and investors, despite the introduction of its Z10 Smartphone. In response to this, the Waterloo, Ontario-based company is reducing its staff numbers. The Chief Executive of the company, Thorsten Heins, said to shareholders that the company required more time to recover from its losses. The vice president of sales at Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY), Richard Piasentin, was sacked last month, and in 2012, around 5,000 employees were let go. The new Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) devices and the company’s commitment to delivering quality hardware for businesses is highly praised by partners, but they remain uncertain whether this will be enough.
