The evolution of Blackberry.

In Tony Wanless’ blog, The Insider, he discusses the future prospects of RIM saying that “RIM should dump its phone business.” Wanless thinks that RIM should switch their focus from making innovative smartphones to improving their security of data exchange platform. It is an interesting and bold statement that he is making because when people, myself included, think of RIM, we associate that with Blackberrys. When Wanless suggests that ditching the smartphone market and concentrating on a “platform for ultra secure data transmission”  will help salvage the company, we wonder how this would improve RIM as a company.

What Wanless is talking about is rethinking and reevaluating the companies point of parity and their point of difference. The only way RIM will be successful is by having a distinct point of difference. Since their smartphones cannot offer an advantage over other smartphones, it must find another point of difference. In RIM’s case, that would be creating the ultra secure data platform the Wanless discusses. With that in mind, RIM can build their brand around their point of difference which will set them apart from their competitors.