RIM Around the Rosies, Pocket Full of Posies
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Microsoft's Windows Mobile team should declare a holiday. RIM is supporting Microsoft's mobile operating system, even if by supplanting one user interface with another. |
Earlier today, RIM announced support for Windows Mobile 6 devices in a surprising usurpation of Microsoft's software. The forthcoming Blackberry Application Suite will come with an application that recreates the look and feel of RIM's device software and major features.
No doubt some folks at Microsoft will balk at RIM pushing aside the Windows Mobile 6's UI, even if just temporarily, to mimic a competing product. But RIM's forthcoming software suite should also smell of sweet victory for Microsoft.
With Windows Mobile 5, Microsoft introduced corporate, RIM-like push-to-mail features from Exchange Server 2003. In early 2005, most businesses running Exchange Server had yet to move to version 2003. Two years later, there are many more Exchange Server 2003 installations, and version 2007 is available.
For all the snappy-looking Blackberries out there, many more devices run Windows Mobile software. In a change from past upgrades a number of U.S. carriers will provide Windows Mobile 6 upgrades for version 5 devices like Samsung's BlackJack. Numbers favor Microsoft, whether Exchange Server on the back end or Windows Mobile on the device.
Today's announcement, for software coming in the amorphous time frame of "later this year," is in part RIM's concession that Windows Mobile devices do matter in the enterprise. The software is opportunity for Microsoft and somewhat risky for RIM.
Surely, every IT organization has at least one CrackBerry who would only relinquish the device from his or her cold, dead hands. Some IT organizations will be able to argue for deploying Windows Mobile devices—but with RIM's familiar and fixation-filling software—to die-hard e-mail addicts.
Personally, I really don't understand the appeal of e-mail on a mobile. Sure, I've used Blackberries or Windows Mobile phones for e-mail. But I find checking e-mail mobily to be too compulsive and there is the SpamBerry problem. PC spam is bad enough. Text messaging, instant messaging, phone calling or even videoconferencing I will do on a mobile, but only e-mail when absolutely necessary.
Related Posts:
- Windows Mobile Turns Six, Microsoft Watch, Feb. 8, 2007
- Apple's Son of Newton, Microsoft Watch, Jan. 9, 2007
- Microsoft, Give Thanks!, Microsoft Watch, Nov. 22, 2006
- RIM Gets Cozy With Microsoft, Microsoft Watch, April 19, 2005
- RIM Claims No 'Magneto Fear Here, Microsoft Watch, April 6, 2005
Comments (6)
Blackberry is a joke. It somehow connects back to its Blackberry website regardless any ISP that you are using in this planet.
The recent breakdown of Blackberry server manifests its weakness and how stupid are those smart guys who are using Blackberry
A lot of you just like Joe, do not really understand technical aspect of Blackberry ...
Posted by Neilson | April 24, 2007 9:21 AM
> A lot of you just like Joe, do not really understand technical aspect of Blackberry ...
Neilson, it is really generous of you to enlighten us with this precious posting of yours.
Posted by rittmey | April 24, 2007 11:42 AM
Well said Rittmey.
Posted by Albert | April 25, 2007 12:02 AM
When a proprietary email system has a catastrophic infrastructure failure, what do you have? A lot of unhappy BlackBerry customers. If my email host provider goes down, I can go to another host provider. My Treo is an equal opportunity email device. I can get my email anywhere. BlackBerry users are putting a great deal of trust in the BlackBerry infrastructure. And, when it goes down, there is nowhere to go.
Posted by Neilson | April 26, 2007 3:33 AM
See, Neilson, that is so much better. Why ranting around in the first place? And why shouting and Mr. Wilcox?
It gives so much more power to your arguments if they are posted as arguments instead of as defamations.
The posting culture of some readers here on Microsoft-Watch has gone down the drain. And that is a shame - as well as annoying and more and more tiresome.
Posted by rittmey | April 26, 2007 3:46 AM
rittmey, you wrote : "The posting culture of some readers here on Microsoft-Watch has gone down the drain. And that is a shame - as well as annoying and more and more tiresome"
So do the columnist , their articles start to make no sense
Posted by donald | April 26, 2007 9:21 AM