back to article Droidberry dangles: Why the BlackBerry-Samsung alliance is big potatoes

There’s something about BlackBerry that even its biggest fans can forget. BlackBerry has never been a phone company – it has always been a network company. For over thirty years, BlackBerry has done clever things to and with networks. It brought efficient data management, security and intelligence to mobile packet networks – …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    So that's where all the (2+2=5) rumours about Samsung buying Blackberry came from a few months back. It would seemed so plausible that QNX, small and reliable, would be a good match for Samsung's microwaves, refrigerators and other potential Internet of Things devices and home automation kit.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    ..."and BlackBerry is flogging it for $12 per host per month – a steal"

    Err, no at $12 per device per month or $144 a year it is anything but a steal for an instant messaging application which does nothing more than many other software products do either for free (non-enterprise) or bundled in with other licensing or licensed per server license.

    This is exactly why consumersation of IT is such a big deal and why Blackberry are struggling, they are trying to sell solutions with "enterprise features" which offer little more of visible use to many enterprises, but with a large price tag.

    For example Facetime and iMessage (athough not great and not cross-vendor) are free to use when on WiFi without any extra licensing costs...

    1. only me
      Facepalm

      Re: ..."and BlackBerry is flogging it for $12 per host per month – a steal"

      Someone else who fails to read before replying - BBM Meetings is a video conferencing app. Think of webex, and try and get that for $12/month...

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: ..."and BlackBerry is flogging it for $12 per host per month – a steal"

        You are missing the point and didnt read my response properly either (although I accept the use of instant messaging should have been "video chat")

        My point is that there are free options out there and options which scale for licensing better than $144 a year. Just because you value all of the extra features in Webex that does not mean that every user or company of those solutions does. Often they are using them through inertia because thats what they've been using and are used to.

        Essentially I was expressing a personal opinion that $144 a year is not "a steal".

        1. only me

          Re: ..."and BlackBerry is flogging it for $12 per host per month – a steal"

          Do you understand the difference between "chat" and "conferencing"? If you don't want it, don't buy it - for business users who do want that type of application, the original statement is accurate "$12 per host per month – a steal"

    2. Gordon 10
      FAIL

      Re: ..."and BlackBerry is flogging it for $12 per host per month – a steal"

      What have Facetime and iMessage got to do with the Enterprise? I would be sacked if I used either for a business purpose.

      I think you are confusing consumerisation (if that's a even a word) with commoditisation.

      Enterprises will always be willing to pay if there are control or management concerns.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: ..."and BlackBerry is flogging it for $12 per host per month – a steal"

      FaceTime and Hangouts are consumer level software that do not have the type of audit features or security that enterprises want. Sure, if you are a small outfit or do not share any important information over a meeting, then you go with Hangouts, FaceTime, Skype or any other free software. WebEx is pretty much the standard for Meetings in Enterprise. It costs $89 per month for upto 100 people. With BBM meetings, you only pay for the host. Everyone can join for free. For example, if you have a CEO, he can have people join the meeting for free. Only the CEO pays $12.99 a month to use BBM meetings vs WebEx.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: ..."and BlackBerry is flogging it for $12 per host per month – a steal"

        Except that many many enterprises are already using these. Just because enterprises don't like it and IT are burying their heads in the sand it doesn't mean its not already happening...

  3. Ben Bonsall

    Droidberry dangles sounds serious.

    1. Axhammer

      BerryRoid - Android on steriods.

  4. Captain Hogwash

    DroidBerry?

    BlackDroid sounds much cooler.

    1. This post has been deleted by its author

  5. Phil W

    Failings and hope

    'Microsoft recently splashed out $200m on a calendar and email apps for Android and iOS – but these aren’t “best of breed" '

    They aren't even an acceptable part of the breed. My company, along with many others, have had to take steps to block the use of Microsoft's newly acquired Outlook app because it violates not only our data policy but also potentially the law as well. It stores the user's data and credentials in a public cloud service potentially taking their data outside the country.

    As for the BlackBerry Samsung partnership, I hope that it at least results in the availability of a new, decently specced Android device with a hardware QWERTY keyboard.

    1. bazza Silver badge

      Re: Failings and hope

      "As for the BlackBerry Samsung partnership, I hope that it at least results in the availability of a new, decently specced Android device with a hardware QWERTY keyboard."

      Well, current BlackBerry mobiles seem to do a pretty good job of running Android apps. Amazon App Store is an official part of the BB10 OF these days, and a lot of people use the unofficial Snap app to get access to the Google Play Store.

      What most people don't realise is the BlackBerry have thought long and hard about making all of that coexist nicely and safely with Enterprise data. Read up on BlackBerry Balance. It gives you an AES256 encryption layer between all that fun and all the enterprise parts of a phone, a strong and very comforting feature for a company.

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