BlackBerry maker in "confidential" hunt for iPhone developers
As much as Research in Motion is keen to maintain its marketshare edge against Apple, a new internal job listing suggests the BlackBerry creator is willing to jump the fence and write applications for the iPhone.
People familiar with the listing say the Waterloo, Canada-based smartphone designer is distributing the notice only within the company and is keeping most details hidden even to those aware of the posting.
"As part of a newly-created team, you?ll influence the development and design of BlackBerry software," the listing reads. "This is a very confidential brand new team and a senior position within RIM so I can't provide too many details. I guess you can figure out what it might be about though."
Among the requirements are a very strong emphasis on existing experience with Mac development, including programming in both Cocoa and Objective C as well as user interface design.
Web experience with Javascript, XML, and other functions is also essential. Experiences with developing for the Mac's Sync Services feature and interfacing with Bluetooth and USB devices are both considered assets, according to the company.
The level of secrecy is unusual for RIM, which has seen repeated leaks of its 3G-capable BlackBerry plans as well as brief discussion by company executives of its near-term releases. Some as yet unverified reports have alluded to a touchscreen BlackBerry that would directly compete with Apple's handset.
What RIM's intentions are for the new development team, and any iPhone applications that may result, is unclear. While often protective of the BlackBerry's distinctive "push" service that delivers e-mail in real time, the company has allowed rival phone builders such as Samsung to access its mail system and integrate its SureType input method into their software.
Still, any development for the Apple platform would represent an unusual move for the Canadian firm, which analysts have said may lose marketshare in the US once native third-party applications and Exchange data support allow business users to rely on the iPhone.
RIM would stand as just one of hundreds of high profile firms who've recently signed on to develop applications for the touch-screen handset. During a recent conference call with analysts and members of the media, Apple said that over a third of companies in the Fortune 500, and over 400 higher education institutions, have applied for iPhone developer status since last month.
People familiar with the listing say the Waterloo, Canada-based smartphone designer is distributing the notice only within the company and is keeping most details hidden even to those aware of the posting.
"As part of a newly-created team, you?ll influence the development and design of BlackBerry software," the listing reads. "This is a very confidential brand new team and a senior position within RIM so I can't provide too many details. I guess you can figure out what it might be about though."
Among the requirements are a very strong emphasis on existing experience with Mac development, including programming in both Cocoa and Objective C as well as user interface design.
Web experience with Javascript, XML, and other functions is also essential. Experiences with developing for the Mac's Sync Services feature and interfacing with Bluetooth and USB devices are both considered assets, according to the company.
The level of secrecy is unusual for RIM, which has seen repeated leaks of its 3G-capable BlackBerry plans as well as brief discussion by company executives of its near-term releases. Some as yet unverified reports have alluded to a touchscreen BlackBerry that would directly compete with Apple's handset.
What RIM's intentions are for the new development team, and any iPhone applications that may result, is unclear. While often protective of the BlackBerry's distinctive "push" service that delivers e-mail in real time, the company has allowed rival phone builders such as Samsung to access its mail system and integrate its SureType input method into their software.
Still, any development for the Apple platform would represent an unusual move for the Canadian firm, which analysts have said may lose marketshare in the US once native third-party applications and Exchange data support allow business users to rely on the iPhone.
RIM would stand as just one of hundreds of high profile firms who've recently signed on to develop applications for the touch-screen handset. During a recent conference call with analysts and members of the media, Apple said that over a third of companies in the Fortune 500, and over 400 higher education institutions, have applied for iPhone developer status since last month.
Comments
Umm, maybe this is just an effort to make a better BB sync system than the shameful one they offer now?
According to our source, this has to do w/ the iPhone SDK...
Best,
K
Kidding.
The market would react by thinking it could be that RIM is less confident about the future for their platform.
Jokes aside, that may not be true, though it could be seen that way.
It's impossible to copy something you know nothing about, ask msft's Mac business unit
Experiences with developing for the Mac's Sync Services feature and interfacing with Bluetooth and USB devices are both considered assets, according to the company.
It is quite possible that RIM is seeking to develop a Mac Sync feature in a third generation Blackberry, and not iPhone software. It may be helped by the iPhone development tools for Mac OS X.
I really don't get it. What could be in it for RiM to make iPhone apps?
Enterprise iPhone customers, perhaps...
"Among the requirements are a very strong emphasis on existing experience with Mac development, including programming in both Cocoa and Objective C as well as user interface design."
I wonder if this is such a good idea for them. It would be ratifying their competition.
The market would react by thinking it could be that RIM is less confident about the future for their platform.
Jokes aside, that may not be true, though it could be seen that way.
I think you are dead on. Ten years down the road folks may not even remember what a BB was - the technology is good but they MUST look into the future.
Anyway, RIM has an existing infrastructure to support ("pushing" everyone's email through their site in Canada) - they'll write an app so that users can have their blackberry mail pushed to their iPhones or iPod Touches.
In theory, RIM might lose sales on hardware, but they'd continue to receive revenue from the use of their infrastructure. I'd imagine the cost of maintaining an account with blackberry, even if accessed from an iPhone/iPod Touch, would still come with ongoing subscription charges.
Since RIM's reason for being isn't reliant upon a specific piece of hardware this wouldn't be a dramatic change, although it's a fair question whether/why anyone with the iPhone/iPod Touch's functionality would want to bother paying more for blackberry-mail (existing users? Idiots?).
Why do people buy Blackberries? The Email. Although there are lots of other Blackberry apps, the Email is what defines the platform and that's why people love their Crackberries. That's what they are paying for and that's why companies like using them.
Does RIM make any real money off selling phones? Probably not. For all the R&D time it takes to design and market a handset, most of this stuff is deeply discounted to companies and cell phone providers. RIM most likely makes its money like most people do in the cell phone business...over time. Your cell phone bill and data plan with RIM is what keeps the proverbial "lights on" in Canada.
So it's the service that really matters. Apple sells a cool product, but isn't in the data/email business. What if you could get your Blackberry mail and a few more features on that iPhone you've been drooling over? Would you be willing to pay a little more to get an iPhone and Blackberry mail in one device? Would your employer be more inclined to support iPhone if your iPhone could access the Blackberry email infrastructure they already support?
And then there are a few market realities. Apple sells cool and people like it. Blackberries are cool, but in a different way...problem is that their "cool" phase ended when iPhones appeared. The RIM API is pretty good and has lots of support but MacOS X on the iPhone has lots of upside and got a boatload of developers almost overnight. Virtually the entire Mac development community can easily be iPhone developers...far easier than Windows developers doing Windows Mobile 5/6 or Blackberry.
Putting Blackberry email on the iPhone for an additional cost to the user could solve a lot of problems for RIM. They still can get high margin revenue from people who might defect from their hardware. They keep Microsoft at bay, a company who has no problem helping Apple out getting Exchange push mail working since its a direct RIM competitor. And although Blackberry hard keyboards are a definite advantage to most frequent emailers, does anyone really think that Apple will make one style of iPhone forever? Neither does RIM.
j/k
I think it is great they are hiring iPhone developers. RIM has some talented developers and some great products. There is room enough for both Apple and RIM to do well in this space, so why not benefit regardless of the device the users buy. This is a smart move. If I see any RIM people using iPhones at either of the Tim's on Phillip, I will try to remember to ask them if they are on the 'new team'. I was out for drinks last year and one of our guys from the US had his iPhone with him. The table of RIM staffers at the other table seemed quite interested in it when he was showing it to us.
Is RIM a hardware company or a services provider? If they make any meaningful amount of money off of hardwares sales, then maybe they are. I have no idea, but you have to think they do make some money off of sales. Or are they a services provider, and only make the hardware as a platform for delivery of email that would not be available otherwise.
My impression is that the latter is somewhat true. The licensing of their input method that the article mentions leads one to believe that they view themselves as more of a services provider. Of course, maybe RIM just hasn't figured this out yet.
So, for a services provider, having a RIM client on the iPhone makes perfect sense. For minimal costs to RIM, Apple hosts and distributes their client (for free even) and RIM continues charge for BES just the same as it does today. The only thing that has changed in the whole food chain is the physical device that the email is viewed on. There is also a possibility for people who would not normally want a Blackberry phone to sign up for BES on an iPhone just because it suddenly became available to them.
With cooperation from Apple, they may even be able to integrate their input method in touch format - no idea how that would work out. And they could develop remote services for wiping and locking and such. Apple would find this appealing as another avenue to sell their hardware and their revenue sharing schemes.
Another possible use for this team is in expanding BB app support to include the touchscreen interface on future BBs: knowing what the iPhone SDK offers could give them a leg up in extending their own SDK.
Bingo. This is the most logical explanation. They need to learn from the iPhone in order to compete with it.
Bingo. This is the most logical explanation. They need to learn from the iPhone in order to compete with it.
I don't know about that. It seems farfetched.
Apple isn't the only one with such a product. Touchscreens have been around for decades. Multitouch screens are available from several manufacturers. RIM doesn't need OS X iPhone developers to understand it.
...odd that my first posting to appleinsider is related to blackberries... Hi everyone.
Anyway, RIM has an existing infrastructure to support ("pushing" everyone's email through their site in Canada) - they'll write an app so that users can have their blackberry mail pushed to their iPhones or iPod Touches.
In theory, RIM might lose sales on hardware, but they'd continue to receive revenue from the use of their infrastructure. I'd imagine the cost of maintaining an account with blackberry, even if accessed from an iPhone/iPod Touch, would still come with ongoing subscription charges.
Since RIM's reason for being isn't reliant upon a specific piece of hardware this wouldn't be a dramatic change, although it's a fair question whether/why anyone with the iPhone/iPod Touch's functionality would want to bother paying more for blackberry-mail (existing users? Idiots?).
I thought this was a bit strange too, but in thinking about it further, it may not be as farfetched as you think.
Why do people buy Blackberries? The Email. Although there are lots of other Blackberry apps, the Email is what defines the platform and that's why people love their Crackberries. That's what they are paying for and that's why companies like using them.
Does RIM make any real money off selling phones? Probably not. For all the R&D time it takes to design and market a handset, most of this stuff is deeply discounted to companies and cell phone providers. RIM most likely makes its money like most people do in the cell phone business...over time. Your cell phone bill and data plan with RIM is what keeps the proverbial "lights on" in Canada.
So it's the service that really matters. Apple sells a cool product, but isn't in the data/email business. What if you could get your Blackberry mail and a few more features on that iPhone you've been drooling over? Would you be willing to pay a little more to get an iPhone and Blackberry mail in one device? Would your employer be more inclined to support iPhone if your iPhone could access the Blackberry email infrastructure they already support?
And then there are a few market realities. Apple sells cool and people like it. Blackberries are cool, but in a different way...problem is that their "cool" phase ended when iPhones appeared. The RIM API is pretty good and has lots of support but MacOS X on the iPhone has lots of upside and got a boatload of developers almost overnight. Virtually the entire Mac development community can easily be iPhone developers...far easier than Windows developers doing Windows Mobile 5/6 or Blackberry.
Putting Blackberry email on the iPhone for an additional cost to the user could solve a lot of problems for RIM. They still can get high margin revenue from people who might defect from their hardware. They keep Microsoft at bay, a company who has no problem helping Apple out getting Exchange push mail working since its a direct RIM competitor. And although Blackberry hard keyboards are a definite advantage to most frequent emailers, does anyone really think that Apple will make one style of iPhone forever? Neither does RIM.
Thank you for your excellent first posts. I think you have it right.
It will remove a big obstacle from corporate/government adoption of the iPhone
if it can use RIM's email service. It does seem like a capitulation by RIM on the
hardware side. Under the circumstances, I don't mind having RIM as Apple's
partner as much as Microsoft for push email.