When Research In Motion released the first BlackBerry smartphone around 2002 (they marketed two-way pagers prior to that), the ability to send and receive push email combined with web browsing, organizer, and phone capabilities made it an instant hit. The Ontario-based firm quickly became a force to be reckoned in the mobile space, garnering a legion of devoted “CrackBerry” users who could be seen tapping away on its keyboard at all times. It was meant primarily for business types but its messaging system lured in consumers as well.
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That fanaticism is quickly disappearing, though. In an industry characterized by fast-paced change and cut-throat competition, RIM got too comfortable with its success and was blindsided by the iPhone revolution in 2007. Today, Apple and Google, two companies that weren’t even competing in the mobile space five years ago have taken the market by storm, while the BlackBerry maker still hasn’t been able to come up with an answer.
The infographic below highlights some of the highs and recent lows of the company. It’s a bit oversimplified to fit the format but it paints a pretty good picture of the abysmal slide RIM suffered the last year. There’s a lot riding on the upcoming BlackBerry 10 release. The message is clear: it’s do or die.
[techspot]
