Amazon, Microsoft, Nokia Circling RIM
Not surprisingly, reports are emerging of big companies circling the wounded Research In Motion, maker of the BlackBerry. The companies include Amazon, Microsoft and Nokia, all of which have been rebuffed so far.
On Tuesday, Reuters reported that RIM has turned down overtures from Amazon and unnamed "other potential buyers" because it wants to fix its problems itself. Reportedly, a RIM acquisition has also been proposed by investment bankers to rival handset makers, including Samsung and HTC.
Turning Itself Around
The news service cited anonymous "people with knowledge of the situation," and noted that RIM and Amazon have declined to comment. Both companies are continuing discussions of other deals, such as a service that will make Amazon's music library available to BlackBerry users.
The story said the giant retailer hired an investment bank this summer to look into the possibility of a merger, but no formal offer was made. It's not yet clear if informal discussions included specifics such as price.
Reuters also reported that RIM's board of directors wants the company's co-chief executives, Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, to attempt to revive RIM's fortunes through better use of its current product lines and worldwide infrastructure, and through the launch of new phones.
Other possible revenue sources include licensing of its new BlackBerry 10 operating system, built on the RIM-acquired QNX OS, after the expected release late next year of the BlackBerry 10 smartphone lineup.
A story in Wednesday's Wall Street Journal, citing "people familiar with the matter," said Microsoft and Nokia had also recently held informal talks with RIM about the possibility of making a joint offer. But, as with Amazon, the company's executive leadership has decided to explore ways to turn RIM around. Microsoft and Nokia have formed a close alliance, where Nokia's phone lineup will use Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 operating system.
'When, Not If'
Laura DiDio, an analyst with Information Technology Intelligence Corp., said it's "a question of when, not if, somebody buys RIM." She added that "Microsoft and Nokia are desperate to get some traction" for their new joint endeavor, and adding RIM to the mix might help them do that.
As for Amazon, which has made a big bet in tablets but not in smartphones, DiDio said that it's important to "look five years down the road, to see what market they might want to play in." Amazon might also be interested in RIM, she said, to keep it from other competitors.
On Tuesday, RIM's stock, which has dropped 77 percent in the last 12 months, reached an eight-year low. In addition to intense competition from mobile devices from Apple and Android, the company has endured in recent months a litany of troubles that would make the biblical Job wince.
For example, the company announced last week that the launch of its much-awaited BlackBerry 10 line would be delayed from the first half to the second half of 2012, in part because the dual-core LTE chipset in the new phones will not be ready until the summer.
Earlier this month, a federal judge ordered the company to change the name of its new BBX operating system because of a trademark dispute with a New Mexico-based company. BBX, which had been unveiled in October, was renamed the BlackBerry 10 OS.
RIM's PlayBook tablet, now heavily discounted, has had disappointing sales. For enterprise customers, RIM is even offering a free PlayBook for every two purchased. An updated version of PlayBook has been delayed to next year. RIM is also trying to restore trust following days of service interruptions last fall.
