The Droid Pro - Is It A BlackBerry Killer?
Motorola announced last evening several new Android devices. With this move Motorola indicated their support for Android and their desire to be aggressive with releasing Android devices that focus on certain markets and specific customer needs. However out of all the devices I watched get launched it is the Droid Pro that I think is the most interesting.
Not because it is the most innovative from a hardware standpoint but because Motorola designed it specifically for the business market which means they are going right after RIM's core business. Android has been slow to be adopted by enterprise IT departments and Motorola has specifically added levels of security and engineered software enhancements to Android in order for it to meet the requirements to be adopted by IT departments.
I love statistics and Motorola shared some statistics that I thought were interesting. They shared that 54% of BlackBerry users were interested in switching to a different platform. They also shared that 33% of BlackBerry users are interested in switching to an Android device.
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My concern for RIM is that even though they still have the largest market share from a smartphone segment at 35%, Android and iPhone OS are encroaching quickly on their market share. The enterprise and business consumer was always where I felt they had a competitive advantage and could continue to hold off competitors due to both Android and the iPhone having slow enterprise adoption.
If Motorola can be successful with the Droid Pro in bringing Android into the enterprise in a significant way it will be a big win for Android and send signals of hope that Android can penetrate corporate environments. I still don't count RIM down and out even if Android can make in roads to IT, however RIM will need to put a lead foot on the innovation pedal is they want to stay competitive.
Things to Watch
- Are the corporate tweaks to Android Motorola made enough
- Is the hardware innovative enough to entice BlackBerry consumers to switch
- How will RIM respond to the threat of Android
- When it comes to corporate environments will the iPhone continue to make a push
- Are corporations ready to support multiple smart phone platforms