Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Latest News
    • Mobile

    RIM’s Q3 Earnings Ahead of BlackBerry 10 Launch Better than Expected

    Written by

    Michelle Maisto
    Published December 21, 2012
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      Research In Motion announced the results of its fiscal 2013 third quarter, the last quarter it needed to slog through before the Jan. 30 launch of its long-awaited BlackBerry 10 platform.

      RIM is counting on the new mobile platform and the smartphones that will launch with it to save the company and bring back users who have abandoned their BlackBerrys for iPhones and Android devices.

      Still, the quarter wasn’t as cringe-worthy as Wall Street was braced for.

      RIM recorded revenue of $2.7 billion—down 5 percent from the quarter before and 47 percent from a year ago, suggesting the worst of the bleeding has been staunched. It sold 255,000 PlayBooks, up from 130,000 last quarter, and 6.9 million BlackBerry smartphones. This was down from the 7.4 million smartphones sold last quarter and from the 14.1 million sold a year ago, but it was still a considerable achievement, given that RIM’s current handsets won’t be able to upgrade to the BlackBerry 10 platform.

      After tax-related adjustments, RIM reported a loss of 22 cents a share—far better than the 35 cents investors expected.

      Gartner VP Distinguished Analyst Ken Dulaney called the quarter “irrelevant,” though he told eWEEK that if he focused on anything it was the subscribers RIM lost.

      RIM’s base fell to approximately 79 million, from the 80 million RIM celebrated last quarter. These subscribers, RIM CEO Thorsten Heins said during the Dec. 20 earnings call, were mostly from North America. Subscriber figures were stable or grew in other parts of the world. But North American subscribers are the ones RIM needs most.

      RIM’s future success, said Dulaney, is “predicated on whether they can get users [in developed markets] excited. RIM’s in fourth place, and that’s a tough place to be.”

      Heins preferred to focus on RIM’s cash flow, which was $950 million, as well as what a “dynamic time” it currently is at RIM.

      “Excitement for BlackBerry 10 is high throughout the entire organization,” Heins said during the call. “I’d describe the excitement as employees are wearing a badge of honor right now. … It’s a great time to be with BlackBerry.”

      On Dec. 17 RIM launched an invitation-only beta program, which enlisted 120 enterprises to preview BlackBerry 10. That figure, said Heins, is now at more than 150.

      Heins and his executive team recently returned from an extensive, worldwide carrier roadshow, where he said enthusiasm for BlackBerry 10 is also high.

      “The carriers are placing pricing orders with us way ahead [of launch] and to us that’s a very good sign,” Heins said with a little laugh. He added that the carriers are eager to be early to market with the devices. (Gartner’s Dulaney likened the carriers to department stores, saying they need to have an assortment of goods on the shelves.)

      Rumors have persisted that the ailing RIM may soon be sold off in pieces, or bought outright, and Heins said RIM continues to “meet with potential partners about how we might extend each others’ strengths.”

      He also said that he’d like to eventually generate service revenue from BlackBerry Messenger, and that RIM plans to move to a new payment structure. When asked for clarity on the details—such as whether fees would stay the same for BlackBerry 7 users who don’t upgrade or whether fees would be paid by the user rather than the carrier?—listeners were told that RIM “isn’t providing details on [the new structure] yet.”

      Heins concluded his statements by saying that RIM has “an unbelievable fan base that’s excited … and RIM knows they demand and respond to innovation. We believe BlackBerry 10 will deliver on that.

      Will BlackBerry 10, in fact, save the day?

      After Jan. 30, said Gartner’s Dulaney, “The next six months will determine that.”

      Michelle Maisto
      Michelle Maisto
      Michelle Maisto has been covering the enterprise mobility space for a decade, beginning with Knowledge Management, Field Force Automation and eCRM, and most recently as the editor-in-chief of Mobile Enterprise magazine. She earned an MFA in nonfiction writing from Columbia University.

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×