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back to article RIM: Maybe we can't flog BlackBerrys, but would you like a jet?

Beleaguered mobile firm Research in Motion is really scraping the bottom of the barrel, and is looking to sell one of its two corporate jets to try to save some money. The BlackBerry-maker has put its nine-passenger Dassault Falcon 50EX up for sale in an attempt to bag $6m to $7m, a person familiar with the matter told …

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  1. Mike Brown

    oh woe is me,,,,,,

    only one 14 passanger private jet? how will they cope?

    why do they need any private jets anyway? have they not heard of BBM?

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    1. Big O
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      Re: oh woe is me,,,,,,

      That *is* suffering

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    2. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      It's needed for when BBM crashes and burns...

      ...which happens quite a lot more often than the jet does.

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    3. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: oh woe is me,,,,,,

      Guess that means that only 14 RIM staff can get drunk in the air at once, this will clearly lead to staff reduction as without the option of getting drunk and disorderly during a flight many will leave of there own accord.

      Not saying RIM are banned on alot of flights due to there managments behaviour, but I think I just did.

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  2. IT Hack
    Pint

    Two aircraft, One failing company.

    I'm sure there's a video in this....

    Pint raised in memory of tech jobs lost thanks to stupid bosses.

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  3. MikeyD85

    Can't wait...

    ...for RIM to sink. I feel for the guys that work for them. They've been forced to make utter tripe for devices for far too long.

    I reckon the only way to save RIM now is to get rid of BBOS entirely and become a hardware manufacturer that offers differentiation through BBIS.

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    1. Katie Saucey
      Reply Icon
      Unhappy

      Re: Can't wait...

      Unfortunately this is round two for me, being a resident of southern ON Canada (obviously round one was Nortel fucking me in the ass), so I've already looked past RIM. Idiot marketing strategists combined with indifference to marketing trends. A winning combination of confidence in the local papers and massive losses. On the bright side probably some new high end real estate coming on the market for cheap in Waterloo ON.

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      1. Anonymous Coward
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        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Can't wait...

        "probably some new high end real estate coming on the market for cheap in Waterloo ON"

        But who wants to live there, there are no local jobs...

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  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Commercial Air Travel is a new concept.

    "We’re looking at options with both our aircraft costs and finding ways to reduce our travel while still making sure we keep in close contact with our partners around the world,"

    I have heard of a number of commercial airlines that offer flights between various points on the globe, some of which have bigger 'executive' seats near the front.

    If your travel budget is shot, try sending an email instead. Android has an email client built in.

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    1. Isendel Steel
      Reply Icon

      Re: Commercial Air Travel is a new concept.

      or perhaps a video conference if image-to-image is required

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  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    One Aircaft Is Too Many

    Make the pig troughers fly the North American equivalent of Ryan Air. While they have fuck all to amuse themselves in El Shitto Airways cattle class, they will have to use their Blackberrys to entertain themselves, then they will find out why the rest of the population think they are shite.

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    1. James 51
      Reply Icon

      Re: One Aircaft Is Too Many

      Just got a 9320 and it's a decent phone with an acceptable range of apps. Got a playbook with it was well, that is a quality piece of kit.

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      1. Anonymous Coward
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        Anonymous Coward

        Re: One Aircaft Is Too Many

        @ James 51

        You've just bought yourself two pieces of obselete that's likely to be supported for about six weeks the way RIM is going.

        2 1
    2. R 11
      Reply Icon

      Re: One Aircaft Is Too Many

      The North American equivalent of Ryan Air? If you're talking about service levels and absolute contempt for passengers, that would be any US based carrier then.

      The difference between US carriers and Ryan Air are that Ryan Air has a more modern fleet of aircraft, is better at running to schedule and actually makes a profit.

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  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Well if you halve the number of CEOs ...

    ... you need 50% less executive jets!

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  7. Helix

    I wouldn't surprise me if they sell it, and then lease it back. A common way to get some easy money, but it's a shortsighted trick that costs money in the long term.

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  8. Khaptain Silver badge

    Alternative Solutions

    I sincerely hope that they don't completely fail. BES is an essential part of our company and for the moment there are no viable alternatives.

    Alternatives :

    Android = Not trusted.

    MS = A little bit shaky - W8 isn't quite ready and appears to be a risk. Might be the eventual solution though.

    Apple = C'mon guys get serious were talking corporate not Fanboi.

    5 6
    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Alternative Solutions

      'BES is an essential part of our company '

      Maybe time to think less about 'Alternative solutions' and more about 'Alternative employment'.

      2 3
      1. RonWheeler
        Reply Icon

        Re: Alternative Solutions

        It might be a bit rough at the edges and not the coolest kid in town, but some businesses need secure managed devices. If you work in an IT department and can't see this, I sincerely hope you are no sort of responsible position.

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  9. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

    Before you buy

    Remember that this Blackberry Jet (tm) can't actually fly unless tethered to a real jet.

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    1. Matthew 25
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      Re: Before you buy

      No this is BlackBerry Jet 2.0 (tm) and can fly fine on its own

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  10. squilookle
    Trollface

    "We’re looking at options with both our aircraft costs and finding ways to reduce our travel while still making sure we keep in close contact with our partners around the world," the firm said. “It’s all part of the effort to find ways to reduce costs and drive efficiencies that Thorsten Heins has talked about.”

    If only there was some kind of device that would allow them to contact their partners around the world without travelling.

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  11. Bear Features

    Lovely, but every time I'm out all I ever see are BBs

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  12. BristolBachelor Gold badge
    Joke

    "RIM said in a statement that it was "looking at options" with its planes."

    Is it insured?

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    1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge
      Reply Icon

      Or they could put a CEO in each and play chicken - a win whatever happens

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  13. GitMeMyShootinIrons
    Joke

    Putting the execs on commercial flights

    Those seats are uncomfortable - they might get sore around the RIM.

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  14. Joerg
    FAIL

    RIM is toast. They are selling corporate jets because they are in the red..

    They need cash quickly. Which means that their resources are exhausted. Their accounts surely are fake.

    When any company resorts to selling its assets like this other than firing employees is just toast.

    How many months can still last anymore?

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    1. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge
      Reply Icon
      Linux

      Re: RIM is toast. They are selling corporate jets because they are in the red..

      How mant times did people say about SCO, 'How long can they last?"

      Yet there is still a faint heart beating amid the ashes of the SCO Empire.

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      1. Joerg
        Reply Icon
        FAIL

        Re: RIM is toast. They are selling corporate jets because they are in the red..

        What are you talking about?

        SCO went bankrupt in 2007..

        http://news.cnet.com/8301-13580_3-9778778-39.html

        SCO Group files for bankruptcy protection

        A month after a devastating legal ruling, The SCO Group says it's filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection while it reorganizes, and all its court cases are on hold.

        Stephen Shankland

        by Stephen Shankland

        September 14, 2007 12:51 PM PDT

        1 0
  15. Spoonsinger
    Go

    A new film needs to be made about RIM...

    sort of a cross between "The Social Network" and "Barbarians at the Gate". (Obviously James Garner & Jonathan Pryce will have to be in it, because that's how I imagine their setup to be like).

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  16. IT Hack
    Pint

    I seem to remember Dan Warmenhoven of NetApp CEO fame sold his jet in '09...I believe NetApp are still around.

    Pint coz its bloody hot where I am at the moment.

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  17. Tank boy
    FAIL

    Bring out your dead!

    Poor RIM. Shame they couldn't see the writing on the wall.

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  18. Chris King

    Oh, how the mighty are fallen...

    This year: Sorry lads, we have to sell one of the jets.

    Next year: Sorry lads, you'll have to jog down the runway, flap your arms and make whooshing noises. That's as close as you'll get to a jet now.

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  19. Darryl
    Thumb Up

    Cartoon in today's papers in many Canadian cities:

    http://www.dolighan.com/image-view.php?image=dolighan_cartoon_jul1012.jpg

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  20. johnnydfred

    Yeah, we sold the small one, 'cause we need the larger one as an escape pod that can hold the whole board.

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  21. asdf
    Joke

    about time

    Wow finally RIM has something to sell, anybody would want to buy. You can only give things away for so long.

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  22. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Sinking ship..... nuff said.

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  23. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Incomplete data

    So many people saying RIM is dead. Yet the share prices dipped 57% in a year, it's still a valuable company based on Market Cap. I'm guessing the patents are worth something...

    There is one worrying aspect though - Palm apparently had a good O/S in WebOS, HP failed to make it work - too little too late. This could be the case with RIM's very late OS revamp due next year.

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