The potential sale of BlackBerry has been a long time coming. Here’s a look at some of the major missteps the company has made over the years.
Mark Lennihan, File / AP
BlackBerry's death spiral is, in a twisted sort of way, a wonder to behold.
Less than four years ago, BlackBerry — at the time Research In Motion — held a commanding share of the smartphone market in the United States. That was when Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone, a device that was at the time criticized for its lack of a keyboard and its high price.
Fast-forward just a few short years and BlackBerry's share price — along with its market share in the United States, once considered a stronghold — have completely cratered. And now, the company has said it is open to exploring "strategic alternatives," which is business code for saying it is for sale.
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The biggest mistake BlackBerry ever made was underestimating the iPhone.
"It's kind of one more entrant into an already very busy space with lots of choice for consumers," former co-CEO Jim Balsillie told Reuters at the time about Apple. "But in terms of a sort of a sea-change for BlackBerry, I would think that's overstating it."
This attitude would define RIM's approach to capturing large businesses and government contracts dating all the way back to 2007. At the time, these contracts were bought up by the companies themselves and then the devices were distributed to employees.
As the presence of the iPhone continued to grow, employees over time would demand that their employers allow them to use their iPhones instead of a BlackBerry. This is referred to in the industry as the "consumerization of enterprise technology." And it would, essentially, go on to become BlackBerry's undoing.
However, being caught flat-footed is not a cardinal sin. Facebook was caught flat-footed when it came to the shift to mobile devices, but it has been able to regain its footing. RIM, however, continued to make a dramatic number of mistakes.
Aly Song / Reuters
