Android App Launched For Real-Time Stock Information Access On Mobile Phones - TMC Net

StockTwits, the creator of the $(TICKER) tag (News - Alert) announced the availability of StockTwits for Android across the world, making the application available on millions of mobile devices. It is the only mobile app for the Android (News - Alert) platform that provides mobile users a place for stock prices. It also provides financial news from the web, trending tickers and real-time ideas from the StockTwits stream.

An Android handset is the next smartphone purchase on the list of over one-third of consumers, according to a survey by The Nielsen Company. The increase in popularity and the consequential use in the number of Android powered smartphones today, gives StockTwits the ability to provide millions of users access to latest information on their handsets. The StockTwits app provides real-time trends, news and ideas about the stocks that the user is interested in. This is a feature unavailable in other Android finance and stock apps. The app also allows the user to share ideas directly from the phone. The user can then reach the StockTwits community as well as top social media and financial sites, including Yahoo Finance, Reuters, Twitter, Facebook (News - Alert), Bing Finance, CNN Money, and LinkedIn.

The key benefits of StockTwits for Android include access to real-time stock quotes from mobile phones. Headlines and links to all the important financial and stock news edited by the social network of investors and traders are accessible. It has the ability to create a “Watchlist” so as to enable the user to quickly and easily access specific investments and ideas while on the move. The user gets to stay on top of the market with the “Trending” news of stocks.

In a release the co-founder and chief executive officer at StockTwits Howard Lindzon said that “The Android platform is growing exponentially, and with the new StockTwits app, we’re able to give millions of investors a new way to stay in touch with the market from their mobile phones. The app is the best way to see stock prices, trending news headlines and real-time ideas for specific stocks, while keeping up with new ideas in the market through Trending Tickers on StockTwits – features not found in any other mobile app.”

Carolyn John is a Contributor to TMCnet. To read more of her articles, please columnist page.

Edited by Stefanie Mosca

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Oracle, Google scrap over Android IP damages - ZDNet (blog)

In the latest chapter of the ongoing legal saga between Oracle and Google, Oracle claims it should be awarded $2.6 billion for Google’s alleged infringement of its intellectual property with regard to the Android mobile operating system.

An expert hired by Oracle, Boston University finance professor Iain Cockburn, calculated the figure as part of a court filing on Tuesday, Marketwatch reports. Previous filings did not indicate just how many “billions” of dollars Oracle sought in damages.

The filing was about as he-said, she-said as it gets:

Google falsely claims that Prof. Cockburn concludes that Oracle is owed anywhere from $1.4 to $6.1 billion in damages. He does not. His opinion is that the total damages that should be awarded to Oracle is $2.6 billion.

Google, of course, rejects Cockburn’s estimate as “inappropriate,” calling into question the methodology for calculating the figure and calling the figure inflated.

It’s the latest round in a long legal battle in which Oracle says Google is infringing on the patents and copyrights within its Sun portfolio, which it acquired last year. The Android ecosystem has been under fire from several companies, including Apple, who attest that both software and hardware too easily mimic patents held by rival tech companies.

Andrew J. Nusca is editor of ZDNet and SmartPlanet.

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Google's e-book effort will need a better horse than iriver Story HD - ZDNet (blog)

Google finally has its e-books platform integrated with an e-reader, but will have a big hill to climb to compete with the incumbents, notably Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

On its blog, Google said the iriver Story HD e-reader will be available at Target stores across the U.S. The $139.99 device looks solid enough—it has e-Ink, 3 million free books and connections to other devices.

Gallery: iriver Story HD vs. Kindle Wi-Fi

The problem is that this device is priced the same—or more—than some flavors of the Kindle and Nook. Barnes & Noble already has new a baby Nook on the market. Amazon is due for its announced refresh sometime this summer or early fall if history is any guide. Gloria Sin gets to the real question: Is Google too late to the game to compete with Amazon or even Barnes & Noble’s e-collection and established partnerships with publishers?

The quick answer is that Google is late to the game. Both the Kindle and Nook are widely distributed and tethered to their respective e-book stores at low prices.

So what’s going to entice me to buy an iriver device at the Target bake-off? It’s just like the iPad puzzle for rivals in the tablet market. You match the leaders on price, but you need to even go lower to get a look. The iriver price should be $50. Subsidize the device with Google ads and maybe it’s $25. The comparison test at retail just won’t hold up with this e-reader.

Google noted that the iriver Story HD is the first device with Google Books integration and more will come. “The Story HD is a new milestone for us, as iriver becomes the first manufacturer to launch an e-reader integrated with Google eBooks,” said Google.

OK, Google is in the game, but there’s a long way to go. You almost wonder why Google is bothering with a dedicated e-reader other than to say it has one. Google’s real e-book horse is likely to be tethered to all those Chrome browsers and Android devices in the field.

Disclosure: I wrote an e-book on the business of media on the Amazon Kindle Single platform.

Related:

CNET: eBook reader reviews

Larry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and SmartPlanet as well as Editorial Director of ZDNet's sister site TechRepublic.

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Apple (AAPL) Or Google (GOOG): The Race To $600 Per Share - istockAnalyst.com (press release)

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I know.  I know.  I know.  Apple (AAPL) reaching $600 before Google (GOOG) sounds absurd. Google which closed at $532.25 / share on Friday only needs to appreciate 12.7% to hit $600, while Apple at 360.25 /share would need to increase 66.5%.  As crazy as it sounds, if Apple outperforms Google at the same rate as last year it is doable.   In 2010, Apple outperformed Google by 57.3%.  Duplicating that performance, starting now, gets Apple there first.  So, based on past performance it's possible.  However, that's not why I am writing this article.  Two reports released Friday morning – got me thinking about this.

First, Morgan Stanley downgraded Google from $645 to $600.  The report was brutal.

Debate #1: Will margins decline from here? Yes.Debate #2: Will "newer" businesses drive near-term revenue outperformance? No.Debate #3: Will investments in local eCommerce and / or social pay-off? Too early to tell.

As a Result, We Are Reducing Our Estimates:

We are reducing our profitability estimates (now significantly lower than consensus) due to the following: 1) Google's aggressive hiring plans, 2) rising salaries due to a competitive hiring environment, and 3) increased advertising spend to drive usage of new / existing products.

In 2011, Morgan Stanley expects search & contextual ads to contribute ~90% of Google's net revenue.  Thus all other businesses such as DoubleClick, YouTube, AdMob, Android Market, and mobile search will only contribute 10% of revenue.  It is simply not a good business practice for a company to be so reliant on one revenue source. Interestingly this is by design and may become their achilles heel.

Google is an advertising company "fronting" as technology company. Its reason for existence is to get as much advertising in front of as many people as possible. This changes the traditional technology game from providing the "best product at the best price possible" to providing the "cheapest ‘good enough' product possible."

No one that has used Excel extensively will tell you that Google Docs is better.  However, 90% of the time Google Docs is good enough – especially since it's free.  That simply kills the price that Microsoft can charge for Excel.  Most people will say – who cares it's time for Microsoft to get its comeuppance. Yea, but what about the start up that had a more innovative spreadsheet program that couldn't compete with free?

Google employs this strategy down its entire product line – that's why the other products only bring in 10% of its revenue.  However, they can only play this game as long as the cash cow (desktop search advertising) is providing milk.  As the market trends away from desktop computing to mobile, the Street is becoming less convinced that Google can commoditize the mobile market and stuff it with ads before the cash cow runs dry. At least that's part of the reason for the Morgan Stanley downgrade.

The second report that I read was speculation that Apple had just inked an iPhone deal with China Mobile. China Mobile is the world's largest wireless carrier with over 611M subscribers.  Brian White, Ticonderoga Securities' chief Apple analyst, has a boilerplate sentence stored on his computer that goes like this:

We believe the ramp of the mobile Internet in China will be one of the great wonders of the tech world over the next decade and the country has clearly caught "Apple fever" that we believe will only accelerate as the company expands it carrier base to include both China Mobile and China Telecom.

If the deal is struck, Ticonderoga Securities thinks Apple's stock could skyrocket north of $600.

There you have it. Two different Wall Street analysts with $600 targets on both companies. As well as, the math based on last year's performance showing that it's possible for Apple to get there first.  Of course, you still don't believe it – but that's what makes a market.

Disclosure:  Long Apple and Short Google.  Positions may changed at any time.

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The above story is the opinion of the author only and it does not reflect iStockAnalyst opinion. Further, the author is not personally advising you regarding the suitability of the story for your investment needs. In no event iStockAnalyst will be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from or arising out of, or in connection with the use of this information. Please consult your investment advisor before making any investment decision.
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Android: Microsoft's new cash opportunity, and not Windows Phone 7? - PopHerald.com

Google and Microsoft are in headlines again, in both finance and tech news world after reports have disclosed Microsoft’s recent move to get more “cash” from successful Android OEMs, and this time, it’s Samsung’s turn.

According to Hot Hardware, news broke this week that Microsoft is demanding Samsung Mobile to pay the company $15 per Android device sold — so for every Samsung Galaxy S II sold, Microsoft could get below 1 percent of the price. Apparently Samsung Galaxy S2 with Android Gingerbread mobile operating system is the Korean OEM’s fastest selling phone to date with 3 million units sold in less than 2 months. If Microsoft’s rumored demand is successful, the Redmond-based company could get $45 million for Samsung Galaxy S2 alone, yikes.

Surprisingly, the report about Microsoft’s demand appeared online after Samsung’s announcement about the early success of Samsung Galaxy S II.

The Microsoft-Samsung Android deal is similar the HTC Android deal which was inked last year, with HTC still obligated to pay $5 per Android product sold. Aside from HTC, Microsoft also signed similar deals, uncluding the company’s lawsuit against Barnes & Noble (with Nook powered Android) and Motorola with its Android-powered devices as well.

Just a quick note, Motorola is not a member of Windows Phone family, and still not into manufacturing Windows Phone handsets, while Samsung and HTC are Microsoft’s launch partners for the company’s re-engineered Windows Phone operating system launched last year, which is still not a popular smartphone operating system in United States according to multiple data published by research firms.

Windows Phone is expected to gobble a large percentage of smartphone market share (according to some analysts) courtesy of its deal with European based mobile phone manufacturer Nokia. Apparently, Nokia inked a deal with Redmond to produce multiple smartphones equipped with Windows Phone operating system. Nokia’s CEO Stephen Elop recently unveiled his company’s first Windows Phone-powered smartphone with codename Sea Ray.

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Google Maps for Android now includes transit navigation for 400+ cities - ZDNet (blog)

Google continues to plug in public transportation information with a new update for its Maps for Android app that includes stop-by-stop transit navigation.

Although it’s still in beta mode, Google Maps for Android already has over 12 billion miles of GPS-guided driving and walking directions on board. Now, with Google Maps 5.7, Android smartphone owners will also be able to access public transit directions in more than 400 cities worldwide. (See the full list here.)

Essentially, the app utilizes the smartphone’s GPS function to determine the user’s current location along a particular route. Once the user inputs the destination, then the app will publish alerts about possible transfers and when to disembark.

Obviously, one of the drawbacks could be reception interference. To be able to fully take advantage of this new feature, users will likely have to be above ground.

Nevertheless, this function could prove invaluable to travelers when visiting cities with different languages and alphabets on signs that the user might not understand. (Of course, they just can’t forget about that international data plan first…)

Google Maps for Android as well as mobile and desktop browsers was recently updated in June with live public transit information about real-time and scheduled departure times, route maps and service alerts.

Some of the other enhancements in this version of Google Maps include an updated directions interface, improved search suggestions (with Google Places integrated), and a photo viewer for Place pages.

Available for downloading now, Google Maps 5.7 requires Android 2.1 and higher. For a closer look at the new features, check out the promo video below:

Related:

Rachel King is a staff writer for ZDNet based at CBS Interactive's San Francisco office.

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Volkswagen Financial Services Implements Webalo to Communicate Real-Time Sales ... - MarketWatch (press release)

LOS ANGELES, CA, (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- The UK's largest captive motor finance company, Volkswagen Financial Services (VWFS) (UK) Ltd, has implemented Webalo software on its smartphones to improve access to real-time sales and customer service data for its field staff and senior managers.

VWFS (UK) Ltd is the captive finance company of Volkswagen Group UK, dealing with brands including Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, Audi, SEAT, Skoda, Volkswagen and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. To improve efficiency employees are now able to access sales, loyalty and customer service statistics driven by an existing SAP database on their smartphone. The new software runs a series of reports which allows users to access data pertinent to their role which can be analyzed to a low level.

Graham Wheeler, managing director of Volkswagen Financial Services (UK) Ltd, said; "Smartphones and tablets aren't just for fun applications, there is a real business need for this new technology. For VWFS to continue to flourish, the team need to be able to analyze the latest data and to make effective decisions. For example, we have some 50 field staff covering the UK. Whilst laptops are incredibly powerful, there is the need to logon and run reports. The Webalo solution allows our team to access sales and loyalty information right down to retailer level so any decisions and advice can be made on the latest facts."

Webalo replaces the purchase and installation of development software, expensive programmers and consulting services, and the ongoing maintenance and upgrading of custom-built mobile applications, with a step-by-step configuration process that easily connects existing enterprise applications and data to smartphones and tablets. Webalo's ability to provide direct access to the specific data and functions that individual users need streamlines interactions with the enterprise and enhances productivity.

"The speed and simplicity of Webalo were the primary benefits for us, though those translate into cost savings, as well," said Carl Redman, Head of IT Development at VWFS (UK) Ltd. "The ease of development means that we can be fully deployed with Webalo in much less time, and at less cost, than it would take with other approaches."

Peter Price, Webalo's CEO observed, "Webalo gives employees exactly what they need to get their work done right from their smartphone or tablet. For IT this means enhancing corporate productivity, without the time and cost of creating and then maintaining a whole new layer of mobile applications, as they can use Webalo to easily connect directly to their existing enterprise applications and data."

More about Volkswagen Financial Services

Media information: Mike Graham, PR & Internal Communications Manager on 01908 485006 or mike.graham@vwfs.co.uk. (High-resolution images are available electronically.)

Volkswagen Financial Services (UK) Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Volkswagen Financial Services AG which is in turn 100% owned by Volkswagen AG the global vehicle manufacturer. The UK head office of Volkswagen Financial Services (UK) Ltd is in Milton Keynes, United Kingdom. Volkswagen Financial Services (UK) Ltd comprises Volkswagen Financial Services, Volkswagen Insurance Services, Volkswagen Group Leasing and Volkswagen Bank.

Volkswagen Financial Services was identified as 'one-to-watch' in the Sunday Times Best Companies to Work List 2010.

About Webalo

Webalo changes the economics of enterprise mobility. It provides the enterprise-to-mobile infrastructure that puts enterprise data and functions on smartphones 100 times faster than traditional approaches to mobile application development, and it provides personalized mobile capabilities that meet the individual needs of any end user.

Webalo technology eliminates the need for traditional mobile application development tools and custom programming to provide -- in hours, instead of weeks or months -- mobile access to the specific enterprise data and functions that smartphone users rely on to do their jobs. Rather than build new mobile applications or purchase proprietary mobile versions of a vendor's enterprise applications, organizations can use Webalo to let administrators easily select, from their existing enterprise applications, the exact data and functions that mobile users need so they can work more efficiently and productively.

Webalo -- available in hosted and virtual appliance versions -- lets non-IT business administrators easily and rapidly configure the connections between smartphones and enterprise apps from vendors such as IBM, Oracle, SAP, and Microsoft, as well as from in-house applications. Then, in seconds, Webalo conforms the settings to the native user interface of any Android, BlackBerry, iPhone, Symbian, Windows Mobile, or Java-enabled smartphone or tablet.

Founded in 2000, Los Angeles-based Webalo is privately held. Additional information about Webalo's products, customers, and partners is available at www.webalo.com and www.webalo.com/pr/2011-06-14_VWFS_pr.html .

Editors, note: All trademarks and registered trademarks are those of their respective companies.

CONTACT: Robert Sax SAX PR/Marketing 818.508.7660 robert@saxpr.net

SOURCE: Webalo, Inc.

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Starbucks pushes out Android app, prepping mobile payments at Safeway - ZDNet (blog)

Starbucks‘ mobile payment app has already been embraced by many iPhone users, and now Android smartphone owners are finally getting a crack at paying for a frappuccino with their phones.

Anyone who is even remotely familiar with the iOS version won’t be too surprised with the Android edition as it looks and works exactly the same.

Users can tether a gift card to a credit card for autoload or choose to reload funds to the gift card manually. That gift card info is entered into the app, and then a barcode appears on the display to be scanned at Starbucks registers when paying for coffee, pastries or those delicious turkey bacon on English muffin breakfast sandwiches. Other little features include finding the closest Starbucks using the phone’s built-in GPS function and checking Starbucks Rewards points.

The Starbucks for Android app is available to download from the Android Market now for free. The only other hardware requirement is that the smartphone needs to be running Android 2.1 or higher.

Starbucks is expanding support for the mobile payment app to its locations in 1,000 Safeway stores nationwide. Patrons can already pay with the app at 6,800 standalone U.S. Starbucks locations and over 1,000 Starbucks cafes inside Target stores.

Personally, I love this app as it’s so convenient. I’m usually checking email or Facebook on my iPhone while waiting in line anyway. It’s much simpler to pay with this app when my phone is already out and ready to go than fiddling around in my bag looking for my wallet while everyone behind me is waiting for me to hurry up. Apparently I’m not alone either as one in five transactions in U.S. Starbucks cafes are paid for using the Starbucks mobile app.

Related:

Rachel King is a staff writer for ZDNet based at CBS Interactive's San Francisco office.

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Amazon tablets reportedly being prepped: Watch prices fall - ZDNet (blog)

Amazon is reportedly planning to launch new tablets and the key item to watch will be price.

Android tablets from Amazon are one of the worst kept secrets in the industry. Meanwhile, Amazon has added a series of pieces—Cloud Drive, streaming video services and an Android app market—that play into the tablet strategy.

Digitimes is now reporting that component makers are prepping for an August to September launch of Amazon tablets, which will feature a Texas Instruments chip, Wintek touch screens and Quanta as the manufacturer.

What’s the big deal? Amazon has enough parts to make its tablet competitive with Apple’s iPad. The other key thread here is price. The problem with Android tablets—beyond trying to get movies and music on them in one place—is price. To effectively compete with Apple, rival tablets have to be cheaper.

Amazon can effectively subsidize the tablets, price them aggressively and make money on the backend via music, book and movie sales. In other words, Amazon’s tablet can use the Kindle model quite effectively. It’s not the device that matters here. It’s the store.

The big unknown is how aggressively Amazon will price its tablet. The tech industry will be watching closely.

Related:

Larry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and SmartPlanet as well as Editorial Director of ZDNet's sister site TechRepublic.

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Assessing the corporate tablet field: Why the enterprise may be different - ZDNet (blog)

The tablet parade is kicking into high gear as HP’s TouchPad becomes available for sale July 1. HP joins RIM, Motorola, Samsung and a bevy of others in a long line of companies trying to compete with Apple’s iPad. What’s the master plan for these rivals: Juice enterprise sales.

It’s quite possible that tablet makers could fare well by becoming business players as Apple runs away with the consumer market. The consumer market is ruled by price and performance (and more the former). Given that most Apple rivals are pricing their tablets exactly the same as the iPad, it’s going to be tough to win over customers.

In other words, rivals aren’t telling us why their tablets are necessarily better than the iPad, which enjoys good word of mouth marketing.

The enterprise is a bit of a different story. In fact, the enterprise tablet market has its own quirks that can open doors—and maybe market share—for challengers. Simply put, the enterprise isn’t going to sweat pricing differences as much. Why? There’s volume discounting and bundles. For instance, HP could sell a slew of TouchPads in an enterprise PC deal. RIM can toss in PlayBooks with a smartphone or BlackBerry Enterprise Server upgrade. Motorola and Samsung could get their tablets to companies via carriers. Dell can move its Streak tablets via healthcare services deals with its Perot Systems unit.

Apple can—and does—play the corporate game to a degree, but isn’t exactly known for its volume discounts. Apple also doesn’t have an enterprise bundle to sell. Apple has a small enterprise swat team that targets verticals like legal and convinces them to go with the iPhone-iPad juggernaut.

But when push comes to shove, tablet challengers like HP are better equipped to sell you a tablet on the cheap and make up the different on services, maintenance or some other revenue stream.

Integration also matters for enterprises, which is why Microsoft can become a tablet player despite sitting out the first and second waves in the industry. If Microsoft can integrate with Office, SharePoint, SystemCenter and legacy apps better than any other tablet maker it has a good enterprise chance ahead.

If you assess the moving parts, Apple’s enterprise tablet effort revolves around consumerization. Workers are bringing the iPad to the office and the C-suite has bought in. Apple on its earnings conference calls will highlight a bevy of companies piloting or deploying the iPad.

But consumerization only goes so far. The challengers’ best shot will be the enterprise. In corporations, the tablet game is more about RIM vs. HP, Samsung vs. Motorola and Dell working the verticals.

With that backdrop out of the way, I created a crib sheet for the enterprise tablet field.

Apple’s iPad. The iPad currently dominates the tablet market and has largely gained in the enterprise due to consumerization. And CIOs like the device and carry them around while leaving the laptops at home. Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer said in April:

Employee demand for iPad in the corporate environment remains strong, and CIOs continue to embrace iPad in an unprecedented rate. In just over a year since its debut, 75% of the Fortune 500 are testing or deploying iPad within their enterprises. Some recent examples of enterprises that are deploying iPad include Fortune 500 companies such as Xerox, AutoNation, YUM! Brands, ADP, Boston Scientific, Estee Lauder, Disney, Stryker, Prudential Financial, Rite Aid, and USAA.

Strengths: Market share and consumerization.Weaknesses: Apple isn’t likely to cut deals and doesn’t have an enterprise bundle opportunity beyond the iPhone.

RIM’s PlayBook. On its latest earnings conference call, RIM executives touted a bevy of enterprise pilots. RIM is also tight with SAP, which happens to be mobile app happy. RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie said that the 7-inch PlayBook “is now in the hands of over 1,500 enterprise customers in progressive stages leading to full deployment.” Cisco, Citrix, IBM, HP and SAP are integration partners and are planning joint sales efforts. Verizon will also sell the PlayBook into the enterprise.

Strengths: RIM can bundle the PlayBook with the BlackBerry and has an already established corporate base.Weaknesses: Consumerization, Apple and Android are eating away at RIM’s market share. Can RIM get corporate apps lined up for its QNX OS?

HP’s TouchPad. The TouchPad will feature the WebOS and interact well with HP’s printers and PCs. Unlike the PlayBook, HP is going for a 10-inch screen, integration with Google Docs and Web-based services.

Strengths: HP can bundle the TouchPad in PC deals, layer the device into broader enterprise hardware packages and use its services unit to integrate the tablet.Weaknesses: The WebOS is slick, but lacks the app numbers and developer base. It’s unclear how the WebOS will work with apps from the likes of SAP and Oracle.

Samsung’s Galaxy Tab. Samsung is building in support for Cisco’s SSL VPN, managing devices via Exchange ActiveSync and encrypting hardware. Toss in partnerships with Polycom, Citrix, SAP and others and Samsung has some enterprise mojo.

Strengths: Samsung can deliver pallets of Galaxy Tabs at a discount. Samsung’s Galaxy Tab is probably the best known Android tablet among consumers.Weaknesses: Samsung doesn’t have the enterprise sales and services arm that RIM and HP enjoy. Samsung would likely depend on carriers to distribute into the enterprise.

Motorola Xoom: The Xoom hit the market early and in many respects was unrefined. Motorola took the brunt of Android Honeycomb 3.0 glitches.

Strengths: Motorola has enterprise relationships.Weaknesses: The Xoom took a beating out of the gate and that will affect perception.

Dell’s Streak devices. Dell is pushing the Streak—5-inch and 7-inch tablets—into the healthcare industry.

Strengths: Dell can tack the Streak onto a broader stack of healthcare IT tools.Weaknesses: Dell has been relatively quiet about its tablet plans.

The big wild-card for all of these enterprise players is Microsoft. As detailed before, Microsoft could develop a Windows 8 tablet that could leverage its existing base of enterprise wares. A lightweight tablet that leverages Office and PowerPoint well could be the killer app for businesses. If these Microsoft tablets are truly ready for prime-time, look for Dell to be a big ally.

Related:

Larry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and SmartPlanet as well as Editorial Director of ZDNet's sister site TechRepublic.

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8 ways to fix RIM with a reality check - ZDNet (blog)

It’s almost becoming a daily ritual to see bad news spelling out Research In Motion’s doom, whether it be disappointing earnings reports, layoffs, executive departures or just poor BlackBerry product sales in general. Jefferies, a global securities and investment banking group, has eight suggestions that could turn RIM around, but let’s give each one a reality check first.

1. Jefferies says: “Fully support iOS and Android in the enterprise by adding BBM and Blackberry email to those devices. This maintains subscription and BES revenue. This is important as according to our analysis RIM’s hardware sales now have negative operating margins.”
Reality check: This could work, but really only for a limited base of consumers who might own BlackBerry devices for work and iOS/Android devices for personal use (or even vice versa, although that would be an even smaller pool of customers). It would be better if RIM focused on improving its own mobile operating system to bring it up to par (at least in terms of popularity) with iOS and Android.

2. Jefferies says: “Move software development out of Waterloo and create three new teams with at least one in Silicon Valley. One team to focus solely on the development of the QNX OS, one team working on UI and user experience, and one team devoted to enterprise/cloud applications and services. Third-party apps should be spun off as a separate company or isolated so they can develop for other platforms.”
Reality check: RIM definitely needs to branch out, and a Silicon Valley office is a must. RIM is probably finding itself more and more alone these days - to the point where it is reportedly bullying mobile carriers to accept its upcoming mobile devices even if they don’t meet quality standards. Thus, RIM could probably use some new partners (even Nokia made friends with Microsoft), and being in Silicon Valley on the ground would certainly help.

3. Jefferies says: “Refresh the management team to raise accountability and increase the benchmark for performance. Current management appears content in bringing to market just one tablet (Playbook) and one major new handset (Torch) in the past year. Nokia’s board’s decision to change its management is encouraging and we would like to see RIM follow suit. We believe shareholders would react positively even at just the appearance of change.”
Reality check: Although both of RIM’s co-CEOs, Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, asserted that they need to remain in power at RIM to weather the storm and the company’s “transition” period. While it is a good idea to have experienced veterans around, it’s obvious that RIM’s current leadership structure isn’t working as the company continues to spiral downwards. Jefferies is also right in arguing that RIM needs to be far more aggressive with its releases. Sure, Apple can afford to release one new iPad and one new iPhone model per year, but RIM doesn’t have that kind of mass-market consumer popularity anymore.

4. Jefferies says: “Hardware-wise, RIM should focus all efforts on getting six QNX handsets out next year. Three QWERTY handsets and three touch handsets all with LTE capability.”
Reality check: LTE is becoming a must, and it will be the standard within a year. Android smartphones are already leading the way, and it is very likely that Apple will introduce a 4G-ready iPhone this fall. (It would be shocking if Apple chose to be left behind here.) Thus, RIM cannot let itself fall behind any further as well.

5. Jefferies says: “Learn everything about the developers and then create the best possible development environment.”
Reality check: This would certainly foster innovation,  but things are already going to be dim around RIM’s offices once it commences layoffs soon. RIM will need to work on some strategy of building a happy workplace to keep its employees motivated. Otherwise, they’ll all just give up on RIM like many other tech followers have already.

6. Jefferies says: “Pick a major content ecosystem and strike a deal. If possible, partner with Amazon and make them the content player, retail store etc. Execution speed is critical in order to quickly optimize a seamless solution.”
Reality check: This goes back to the Silicon Valley move a bit, but this could get things rolling faster with RIM. There could be several ways for RIM to work out a deal, such as just offering an optimized portal to a particular outlet (i.e. Amazon, Netflix, probably not Hulu Plus…), or developing a smartphone or tablet for another major brand. For example, Samsung is rumored to be developing Amazon’s tablet that is expected to be released some time this year. Additionally, Samsung built the Nexus S for Google after HTC did the same with the Nexus One. Although the latter of those two devices is arguably more popular, it still shows that two companies can work together on a successful product and share some of the credit.

7. Jefferies says: “Create a team whose only job is to focus on the consumer. The team should analyze consumers’ wants, needs, trends, and feedback in excruciating detail. RIM should only release products that are desired, intuitive, and ready for the market.”
Reality check: RIM should stick to what it is best at, which is producing highly-secure mobile devices for business and enterprise clients. Most of its forays into the consumer sector, namely the BlackBerry Storm and PlayBook, have largely been disappointments.

8. Jefferies says: “Foster innovation by creating a team whose sole job is to find the next tectonic shift in technology and bring it to market. We believe RIM can leap frog the competition, and it is still not too late, but time is running out.”
Reality check: It might not be too late for RIM to save itself, but it’s hard to imagine it surpassing any of the other major mobile players in the immediate future. Innovation is certainly always a key to finding success again, but it would be better for RIM to hone in at what it is good at and innovate from there rather than starting from scratch.

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Rachel King is a staff writer for ZDNet based at CBS Interactive's San Francisco office.

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