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Company Background
Founded in 1984, RIM is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of wireless solutions.
Through the development of integrated hardware, software and services that support multiple
wireless network standards, RIM provides solutions for access to information including email,
phone, short message service, Internet and intranet-based applications.
Based in Waterloo, Ontario, RIM operates offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific.
RIM’s US headquarters are located in Dallas, Texas, which houses various sales, marketing,
legal, customer service operations and administrative activities.
RIM’s primary revenue stream is generated by the BlackBerry wireless solution, which is
comprised of Blackberry smartphones, software, and services.
For the fiscal year ended February 28, 2009, RIM’s BlackBerry subscriber account base
increased to approximately 25 million from approximately 14 million from the previous fiscal
year.
With over US$6.9 billion worth of sales attributable to the US market during the fiscal year
2009, the United States accounted for 63.0% of the company’s total sales.
RIM employed about 12,800 full-time workers as of February 28, 2009, of which
approximately 5,100 were in the advanced research, product development, standards and
licensing areas.
Strategic Direction
Market prospects for Research in Motion (RIM) smartphones looks promising as consumers
are increasingly demanding one mobile device to manage all types of information, whether it
is music or messaging. Both RIM and Apple are trying to become the provider of choice for
such a device, along with other well-established mobile phone suppliers, such as Nokia and
Samsung. In any case, future demand for RIM’s wireless devices and services will continue to
be fuelled by several key trends:
the roll-out of advanced telecommunications infrastructure supporting mobile
phone technology;
the growing popularity of portable information devices;
the introduction of lower data pricing models by wireless carriers;
the upsurge in consumer-focused applications such as social networking and
instant messaging;
the growing number of mobile workers in the United States.
While the BlackBerry is still expected to remain the smartphone of choice for many in the
corporate world, the company is expected to pay more attention to the US consumer market,
where strong growth potential exists. The launch of the Storm, Bold and Pearl Flip in 2008 was
a key factor in moving the Blackberry into the consumer realm. Over the next several years, it
is expected that RIM will roll-out more consumer-focussed smartphone devices as Apple and
RIM target the same customer base.
However, the current battle between Apple and RIM can also be viewed in a larger context as
an emerging showdown between Apple and RIM smartphones against conventional mobile
phones, manufactured by Nokia, Samsung, and Motorola. The projected increase in
smartphone demand is expected to provide both Apple and RIM with strong growth
opportunities at the expense of the well-established mobile phone players.
Looking ahead, the future success of the iPhone could be hampered by the fact that the device
has limited US wireless carrier support in comparison to the BlackBerry, which is currently
available on every major US wireless carrier.
Key Facts
Competitive Positioning
The mobile phone market in the United States is fairly concentrated, with the top four players
(Motorola, LG, Samsung and Nokia) comprising the bulk of sales in 2007. However, the market
has seen some newer players such as RIM and Apple make some strong inroads with their
smartphone devices.
While the Blackberry smartphone has been available to US consumers for several years now, it
was the launch of the Apple iPhone in June 2007, which proved to be a key factor in boosting
consumer interest in smartphones. The iPhone has proven to be a big hit in the United States.
Smartphones are making up an increasingly larger share of overall mobile phone sales.
With about 5,000 of the company's total workforce and US$684.7 million devoted to R&D,
RIM places a great deal of focus on offering new products.
In an effort to counter the growing popularity of the new Apple iPhone, RIM launched the
BlackBerry Storm smartphone in 2008, with its unique SurePress touchscreen, similar to the
iPhone. In fact, the Storm incorporates many of the popular user-friendly features of the
consumer-oriented iPhone.
RIM also launched the BlackBerry App World in April 2009, which allows users to download a
wide range of applications directly from their BlackBerry smartphone.
While many of the traditional mobile companies such as Samsung and Nokia all offer
smartphone selections, the real battle for this market segment is between Apple and RIM.
Traditionally, RIM has focussed its smartphone offerings to the corporate sector, but this is
starting to change as the company targets mainstream consumers. In fact, during the fourth
quarter of the company’s 2008 fiscal year, RIM added 3.9 million subscribers worldwide, of
which 70% were non-enterprise customers. Apple on the other hand has from the beginning
targeted the consumer segment, as the iPhone has proven to be an excellent mobile
entertainment unit.
Trends
Value sales of mobile phones declined to a lesser extent than volume sales as many consumers
upgraded to more expensive high-end devices, in particular smartphones. Moreover, as more
Americans get rid of their landlines in favour of mobile phones, they are more prone to invest
in high-end models.
Given the new product features and services offered by carriers, mobile phone prices have
bucked the downward trend of consumer electronics pricing. For the most part,
manufacturers have been able to maintain their prices and, in some cases, even increase
them.
According to the Wireless Association (CTIA), the number of mobile phone subscribers in the
United States grew by nearly 8% in the first half of 2008 compared to the same period the year
before, reaching 262.7 million people. This figure includes people who own more than one
mobile phone, something that is becoming more common.
New keyboard-equipped phones introduced in 2008 include RIM’s BlackBerry Bold, LG’s Lotus
and Samsung-made Epix.
The continuing roll-out of advanced telecommunications infrastructure in support of Wi-Fi and
3G mobile phone technology has been a key ingredient in the strong consumer uptake of
mobile devices.
Consumer interest in smartphones took off with the launch of the Apple iPhone smartphone in
June 2007. The iPhone helped to reshape the mobile phone industry in the United States.
While smartphones saw their prices drop steadily in 2008, they are nevertheless accounting
for an increasingly larger share of the overall mobile phone sector. Many of the newly
launched smartphones are loaded with advanced features, such as touch screens, QWERTY
keyboards, international 3G capability and Wi-Fi.
Mobile phone retailers are putting increasing emphasis on mobile phone accessories, such as
Bluetooth headsets, memory cards and car kits.
Competition amongst the various distribution channels is quite fierce in the mobile phone
sector. Mixed retailers and durable goods retailers are battling it out with kiosk-type outlets,
which saw their distribution share increase steadily during the review period.
Competitive Landscape
The mobile phone market in the US is fairly concentrated, with the top four players (Motorola,
LG, Samsung and Nokia) accounting for a combined market share of 76.3% in 2007.
During the review period, the market saw the entry of some newer players, such as Research
in Motion and Apple, and they made some strong inroads with their smartphone devices.
Apple’s share of the total mobile phone market stood at 3.1% in 2007, and it is expected to
grow thanks to the popularity of its new 3G iPhone launched in July 2008. Apple’s new 3G
iPhone integrates GPS navigation, high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) and
compatibility with hundreds of third-party programs. Its retail price is US$200 cheaper than
the price of the traditional iPhone.
With 32.2% of the market, Motorola continues to be the leading player in the US mobile
phone market. Motorola's success over the past few years has largely been the result of
demand for its popular RAZR mobile phones. However, Motorola’s market share has come
under pressure, largely due to intense competition from Samsung and LG, both of which saw
steady increases in market share during the review period. The secret to their success has
been their continuous launching of new technologically advanced products at competitive
prices. LG, for example, launched the Dare, which features a touch screen, a camera phone
with 3.2-megapixel resolution, facial recognition technology and high-speed video capture.
Although Nokia may be the world leader in mobile phone sales, the company continues to
struggle in the United States due to the strong competition and Nokia's failure to cater to
domestic demands, such as clamshell designs and ultra-thin cell phones. Nokia is also entering
the touch screen market with its music-playing 3G 5800 XpressMusic, a product the company
expects to introduce into the American market sometime in 2009.
As competition in the mobile phone market intensified in 2008, there was some major
consolidation activity. For example, Kyocera announced in April 2008 that it had completed a
merger with Sanyo Electric, a deal in which Kyocera acquired Sanyo's global mobile phone
business. As a result of the acquisition, Kyocera will be able to take advantage of Sanyo's
expertise in developing and manufacturing middle-range to high-end mobile phones.
Prospects
Despite a downward spike in 2008, mobile phone sales are expected to turn around and grow
steadily over the forecast period. Although the household penetration rate of mobile phones
is fairly high, their relatively short replacement cycles and the growing shift to smartphones
should ensure continuing market demand. In terms of value sales, even though the average
selling price of mobile phones is expected to fall over the forecast period, growing demand for
higher-priced smartphones will drive growth in the sector.
According to a recent survey, more than 20 million households (17% of all US households) use
mobile phones rather than landline phones as their home phones. This trend is expected to
grow in light of the weakening US economy and the need for consumers to find ways to cut
back on household spending.
There will likely be more widespread adoption of mobile TV services over the forecast period.
Other carriers are likely to follow the lead of Verizon and its Media Flo-based V CAST Mobile
TV service. This service offers viewers a basic package consisting of CBS Mobile, Comedy
Central, Fox Mobile, MTV Mobile, NBC and Nickelodeon.
With an increasingly greater number of mobile phones incorporating GPS functions, it will
come as no surprise that major portable navigation device players are likely to enter the
mobile phone market. In fact, Garmin’s new Nuviphone will be launched in the US market in
2009.
Forthcoming legislation in a number of states prohibiting the use of hand-held mobile devices
while driving will have an impact on the sector, benefiting products such as the hands-free
Bluetooth headset unit. After the state of California enacted such legislation in 2008, sales of
Bluetooth headset devices took off.
Sector Data
'000 units
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Mobile phones 68,373.4 82,731.8 101,365.0 135,842.4 140,732.7 122,437.5
Source: Official statistics, trade associations, trade press, company research, store checks,
trade interviews, Euromonitor International estimates
% volume growth
2007/08 2003-08 CAGR 2003/08 TOTAL
US$ million
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
1G - - - - - -
2G 100.0 99.0 94.0 88.0 79.0 50.0
3G - 1.0 6.0 12.0 21.0 50.0
4G - - - - - -
Other - - - - - -
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Source: Official statistics, trade associations, trade press, company research, store checks,
trade interviews, Euromonitor International estimates
% retail volume
Company 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
% retail volume
Brand Company 2004 2005 2006 2007
% retail volume
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
'000 units
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Mobile phones 122,437.5 124,886.2 128,632.8 133,778.1 138,460.4 143,998.8
Source: Official statistics, trade associations, trade press, company research, trade interviews,
Euromonitor International estimates
% volume growth
2012/13 2008-13 CAGR 2008/13 TOTAL
US$ million
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
PROYECTO FINAL
AD1000 - ADMINISTRACIÓN
Análisis de un caso.
Objetivo:
Descripción:
Suponer que trabajan para una firma de consultores. El equipo de ustedes ha sido
contratado por blackberry ( Research in Motion) para revelar su posición competitiva. Esta
investigación y análisis ayudará a los administradores de la compañía en cuestión a
empatar la estrategia de la misma con las circunstancias particulares de su ambiente.
El proceso administrativo
o Planeación
o Organización
o Enfoque funcional de la organización, descripción y desventajas en
el mundo actual
o Enfoque de procesos de negocios, flujos organizacionales y su
relación con la generación de valor
o Dirección
o Control
Ambientes organizacionales
o El ambiente organizacional
o El ambiente de la diversidad
o Macroambiente
o Microambiente
Aspectos sugeridos a cubrir:
a. Análisis FODA
5. ¿Cuáles son los aspectos y/o problemas que merecen una pronta atención
por parte de los administradores de esta compañía?
a. Análisis de la industria y tendencias de la misma
b. El rol de la tecnología de información
c. Análisis de los sectores económico y financiero (la administración frente a
la crisis)
d. Retos que plantea la responsabilidad social y ética
6. ¿Cuál o cuáles son las oportunidades del uso del Blackberry en los
negocios?.
Aspectos sugeridos a cubrir:
a. Oportunidades de negocio.
b. Uso de la tecnología blackberry.
c. Posibles aplicaciones en la industria.
Requisitos:
Dos niveles de investigación serán necesarios para este proyecto.
Su reporte final deberá reflejar la dinámica actual del negocio, considerando los recientes
aspectos económicos, políticos y sociales, entre otros, que afectan a la industria donde la
compañía opera.