A conference call just finished with Thorsten Heins, RIM’s new President and CEO. There was a great deal of talk about “improving execution” and “process discipline”, how his focus will be towards the increasing the consumer user base and finding a new CMO ASAP. An interesting note is that Heins stated that the PlayBook, once called the “World’s first professional tablet”, is actually “not a tablet only” and that it’s “a new mobile computing platform”. So, it’ll be interesting to see its progression/transition. Heins also confirmed that PlayBook 2.0 will be in market in February, but didn’t give a specific date. As for the BlackBerry 10 handset future – he hopes to bring these to the public before the end of the year (nothing new there).
Over the past few weeks there has been various rumours of RIM being sold off or having BB10 licensed out, Heins stated that “I will not in anyway split this up or separate this into different businesses. Now on the licensing piece. I’m absolutely confident that BlackBerry 10 will prove itself as a platform. If there is requests coming towards Research In Motion to talk about licensing that platform to other companies I will entertain those discussions, I will listen, I will access the business opportunity for RIM and if it makes sense strategically and tactically to go down that path, and then I will make the decision together with the board. It’s not my focus one. My focus one is to strengthen RIM’s business based on that integrated approach.”
In addition, in the promo video that officially introduced Heins as the new President and CEO, he stated that “When we decide on getting something done, I want it to be done on time at good quality, and at good cost, because that at the end of the day defines our customer satisfaction and it also defines our economic result… the journey isn’t over yet. If we continue doing well what we are doing, I see no problems of us being in the top 3 players worldwide in the next years in wireless.”
So there you have it. Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie are out as co-CEO’s – but not completely removed. Mike Lazaridis is now a Vice Chair of RIM’s Board and also starts a new position as Chair of the Board’s new Innovation Committee. Jim Balsillie will remain a Director.
What are your thought on RIM’s future?
[podcast format=”video”]https://cdn.mobilesyrup.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/rimceoconc.mov[/podcast]
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