RIM's three key goals for BlackBerry World 2012
The company known as Research in Motion will need to prove themselves substantially this year at their biggest developer event, BlackBerry World, if they hope to keep afloat for long. To do this, they've got a bit of work to do, work that can be summarized in three easy points that are not so easy to make a reality. Let's have a look at what BlackBerry's makers can do to keep what's traditionally been the business end of the mobile world alive.
Demonstrate BlackBerry 10 as a legitimate rival to iOS and Android
Though it's not going to be easy in the least bit to show how BlackBerry, in any iteration, is going to be able to fare up against the two biggest mobile softwares on the planet right this second, RIM simply does need to do it in order to survive. BlackBerry 10 is going to bring the BlackBerry world into a whole new age one way or another, and RIM needs to show how doing this will deliver for their users a user interface environment worth using.
Why would I use a BlackBerry when I've got an iPhone or an HTC One waiting for me at every carrier?
Show that BB10 is on-track for delivery by the end of 2012
Software delivery is the most important element in any hardware/software combination, or it is certainly the most important element here where there's more than one piece of hardware that the software works on. RIM has had a track record of delivering updates to BlackBerry devices, but it's certainly not been a good one. RIM has a following out there in the world of business users still, they need to work to show them they're on-track for giving them the updates that the competition is delivering or they'll be shut out.
Why am I not getting fixes to the software issues I have on a device whose hardware manufacturer also produces its software?
Display backing of key software developers both large and small
When Angry Birds Space was released, one of the biggest stories surrounding it was the fact that Rovio did not intend on releasing it for Windows Phone. Less than a day after it was announced that Rovio had no plans for Windows Phone for this expansion, they changed their tune and assured the public that yes, indeed, Windows Phone would be included. Microsoft knows the value of big-name software being ready for their own operating system, and RIM needs to prove to the public that they know this too.
Why use a smartphone if it doesn't have access to app versions of the software I use at home and at the office on a regular basis?
Wrap-Up
RIM doesn't have to do anything magical when it comes to goals like what's listed above. They must prove themselves primarily. Once they've reinstated themselves as a brand that can be trusted to deliver on the same level that their competitors can, they'll be able to move on to the next step, that being producing new devices worth buying. The software needs to come first here, or there won't be substantial sales through even the rest of this year. BlackBerry World 2012 needs to explode in a grand way – here's hoping, RIM!