Who Will Acquire RIM?

RIM BlackBerry. Who Will Acquire RIM? It's been a long and hard road for RIM since the glory days of 2007. With its stock price trading at record lows, RIM finds itself at a crossroads. Many different strategic options are being explored in an attempt to overturn RIM's rapid decline. Despite its struggles, RIM still retains some valuable assets. And with them now trading well below asset value, RIM could be an attractive acquisition target. So who, if anyone, is looking to acquire RIM and why? Timeline Canada's most 2007 RIRA profitable company iPhone launches Blackberry Bold released. Positive reception & sales 2008 Android launches Blackberry Storm released. Poor reviews. Stock price plummets 18% Launch of Blackberry Torch. Blackberry loses top spot in smartphone market share 2010 2011 8 RIM lays off 10% of workforce $1 CEOS cut their salaries to one dollar Playbook launch disappoints due to lack of key features Three day Blackberry outage leaves millions of users stranded Delays new QNX operating system 2012 Co-CEO's Jim Balsilie & Mike Lazardis step down Thorston Heins is appointed as RIM's CEO RIM hires advisors to assess "strategic options" O RIM lays off 30% of workforce Stock price plunges to record lows 10 Blackberry OS 10 devices delayed until 2013 RIM's Value Despite its rapid decline and harsh press coverage, many experts agree that RIM still has value. Its user base, services, patents and market share - particularly in the enterprise space - are not to be overlooked. User Base Services 70 Million 20 Million I Business Users BBM Users $2.5 Billion $1.6 Billion Worth est. Worth est. Market Share Intellectual Property Patents worth between $1-4 Billion 63% 11% Enterprise General So who could acquire RIM? Why? Why Not? Rumored to be working with HTC on a Facebook phone called "Buffy" expected to be released next year. Needs to monetize the mobile market. The alleged failed facebook attempt to create their own in-house phone and need the knowledge and experience to build one. Integration concerns. They just bought Motorola, would the SEC allow it? Would increase access to the Google enterprise market and gain more patent assets. RIM's development knowledge is also transferable (same programming language). Integration concerns and regulatory barriers. Would bolster its position in enterprise and strengthen its patent assets to gain an edge over Google. BBM messaging platform could be a welcome improvement to iMessage. They lack their own mobile platform. Would allow them to compete in the mobile space and provide protection from Google & Apple. Tablet OS is based on Android. RIM's business model would not fit with their own of selling amazon.com low cost hardware bundled with their services (see Amazon Kindle Fire). Would gain leverage from RIM's enterprise business. Could use it to help boost its Exchange Server over already waning competitors like Novell and IBM. Migration of RIM users or the integration of QNX and Windows 8 could be difficult. They already have an existing hardware partner in Nokia. Microsoft Would gain Enterprise Grade Security, including secure mes- saging. Already positioned to lead the global smartphone market without anyone's help. Why would they buy a company in | transition? SAMSUNG Smaller company. Financing would be difficult. They lack their own mobile platform. Acquiring RIM's enterprise security and market share will make them bigger. hTC quietly brilliant Would help improve its own weak smart phone offering and regain some business market share. Financing on their own would be near impossible. They would probably need Microsoft's help, who might view RIM as a NOKIA threat. RIM's Uncertain Future Acquiring a company in such rapid decline is a bit like trying to catch a falling knife by the handle. But with RIM now trading around asset value, potential suitors might be tempted to take a gamble. The right partnership could unlock significant value in terms of market share, services and patents and preserve RIM as an important part of the smartphone ecosystem. Whilst the next year for RIM is filled with uncertainty, at the very least it's guaranteed to be an interesting story. : BlackBerry. Sources "Likely Buyers for RIM? Amazon and Mierosoft/Nokia - Forbes * Facebook Tries, Tries Again on a Smartphone - NY Times *How RIM Splitting Would Affect the Mobile Industry - Business Insider *Why A Sale of RIM Could Face an Uphill Climb - Wall Street Journal * RIM: A Valuable Asset; If only There Were any Buyers - Forbes *Has Research IN Motion Become A Bargain? *Why RIM Won't be Bought: There's not much There - Forbes * RIM Rises: Take-Out Candidate? Salvage Value? - Barron's * RIM Chief: Nothing Wrong Here ChannelNomics * RIM: Ki Yourself So Others Might Live - Giamodo * RIM's value sinks as BlackBerrys *HTC, ZTE among potential buyers of RIM - China.org.en * RIM timeline - Toronto Sun RIM Should be Worth at Least as much as its parts - Beta Fool Presented by - Seeking Alpha Firmex rys are edged out, but patents and network could entice buyer - The Guardian in RIM : BlackBerry. Who Will Acquire RIM? It's been a long and hard road for RIM since the glory days of 2007. With its stock price trading at record lows, RIM finds itself at a crossroads. Many different strategic options are being explored in an attempt to overturn RIM's rapid decline. Despite its struggles, RIM still retains some valuable assets. And with them now trading well below asset value, RIM could be an attractive acquisition target. So who, if anyone, is looking to acquire RIM and why? Timeline Canada's most 2007 RIRA profitable company iPhone launches Blackberry Bold released. Positive reception & sales 2008 Android launches Blackberry Storm released. Poor reviews. Stock price plummets 18% Launch of Blackberry Torch. Blackberry loses top spot in smartphone market share 2010 2011 8 RIM lays off 10% of workforce $1 CEOS cut their salaries to one dollar Playbook launch disappoints due to lack of key features Three day Blackberry outage leaves millions of users stranded Delays new QNX operating system 2012 Co-CEO's Jim Balsilie & Mike Lazardis step down Thorston Heins is appointed as RIM's CEO RIM hires advisors to assess "strategic options" O RIM lays off 30% of workforce Stock price plunges to record lows 10 Blackberry OS 10 devices delayed until 2013 RIM's Value Despite its rapid decline and harsh press coverage, many experts agree that RIM still has value. Its user base, services, patents and market share - particularly in the enterprise space - are not to be overlooked. User Base Services 70 Million Users 20 Million I Business Users BBM $2.5 Billion $1.6 Billion Worth est. Worth est. Market Share Intellectual Property Patents worth between $1-4 Billion 63% 11% Enterprise General So who could acquire RIM? Why? Why Not? Rumored to be working with HTC on a Facebook phone called "Buffy" expected to be released next year. Needs to monetize the mobile market. The alleged failed attempt to create their own in-house phone and need the knowledge and experience to build one. facebook Integration concerns. They just bought Motorola, would the SEC allow it? Would increase access to the Google enterprise market and gain more patent assets. RIM's development knowledge is also transferable (same programming language). Integration concerns and regulatory barriers. Would bolster its position in enterprise and strengthen its patent assets to gain an edge over Google. BBM messaging platform could be a welcome improvement to iMessage. They lack their own mobile platform. Would allow them to compete in the mobile space and provide protection from Google & Apple. Tablet OS is based on Android. RIM's business model would not fit with their own of selling amazon.com low cost hardware bundled with their services (see Amazon Kindle Fire). Would gain leverage from RIM's enterprise business. Could use it to help boost its Migration of RIM users or the integration of QNX and Windows 8 could be difficult. They already have an existing hardware partner in Nokia. Microsoft Exchange Server over already waning competitors like Novell and IBM. Would gain Enterprise Grade Security,including secure mes- saging. Already positioned to lead the global smartphone market without anyone's help. Why would they buy a company in | transition? SAMSUNG Smaller company. Financing would be difficult. They lack their own mobile platform. Acquiring RIM's enterprise security and market share will make them bigger. hTC quietly brilliant Financing on their own would be near impossible. They would probably need Microsoft's help, who might view RIM as a Would help improve its own NOKIA weak smart phone offering and regain some business market share. threat. RIM's Uncertain Future Acquiring a company in such rapid decline is a bit like trying to catch a falling knife by the handle. But with RIM now trading around asset value, potential suitors might be tempted to take a gamble. The right partnership could unlock significant value in terms of market share, services and patents and preserve RIM as an important part of the smartphone ecosystem. Whilst the next year for RIM is filled with uncertainty, at the very least it's guaranteed to be an interesting story. RIRM : BlackBerry. Sources *Likely Buyers for RIM? Amazon and Microsoft/Nokia - Forbes * Facebook Tries, Tries Again on a Smartphone - NY Times *How RIM Splitting Would Affect the Mobile Industry - Business Insider *Why A Sale of RIM Could Face an Uphill Climb - Wall Street Journal * RIM: A Valuable Asset; If only There Were any Buyers - Forbes *Has Research * Why RIM Won't be Bought: There's not much There Forbes * RIM Rises: Take-Out Candidate? Salvage Value? - Barron's * RIM Chief: Nothing Wrong Here ChannelNomics * RIM: KI Yourself So Others Might Liv t, but patents and network could entice buyer- The Guardian IN Motion Become AB - Seeking Alpha Presented by Firmex -Gizmodo * RIM's value sinks as BlackBerrys are *HTC, ZTE among potential buyers of RIM - China.orgen * RIM timeline - Toronto Sun RIM Should be Worth at Least as much as its parts - Beta Fool in RIM : BlackBerry. Who Will Acquire RIM? It's been a long and hard road for RIM since the glory days of 2007. With its stock price trading at record lows, RIM finds itself at a crossroads. Many different strategic options are being explored in an attempt to overturn RIM's rapid decline. Despite its struggles, RIM still retains some valuable assets. And with them now trading well below asset value, RIM could be an attractive acquisition target. So who, if anyone, is looking to acquire RIM and why? Timeline Canada's most 2007 RIRA profitable company iPhone launches Blackberry Bold released. Positive reception & sales 2008 Android launches Blackberry Storm released. Poor reviews. Stock price plummets 18% Launch of Blackberry Torch. Blackberry loses top spot in smartphone market share 2010 2011 8 RIM lays off 10% of workforce $1 CEOS cut their salaries to one dollar Playbook launch disappoints due to lack of key features Three day Blackberry outage leaves millions of users stranded Delays new QNX operating system 2012 Co-CEO's Jim Balsilie & Mike Lazardis step down Thorston Heins is appointed as RIM's CEO RIM hires advisors to assess "strategic options" O RIM lays off 30% of workforce Stock price plunges to record lows 10 Blackberry OS 10 devices delayed until 2013 RIM's Value Despite its rapid decline and harsh press coverage, many experts agree that RIM still has value. Its user base, services, patents and market share - particularly in the enterprise space - are not to be overlooked. User Base Services 70 Million Users 20 Million I Business Users BBM $2.5 Billion $1.6 Billion Worth est. Worth est. Market Share Intellectual Property Patents worth between $1-4 Billion 63% 11% Enterprise General So who could acquire RIM? Why? Why Not? Rumored to be working with HTC on a Facebook phone called "Buffy" expected to be released next year. Needs to monetize the mobile market. The alleged failed attempt to create their own in-house phone and need the knowledge and experience to build one. facebook Integration concerns. They just bought Motorola, would the SEC allow it? Would increase access to the Google enterprise market and gain more patent assets. RIM's development knowledge is also transferable (same programming language). Integration concerns and regulatory barriers. Would bolster its position in enterprise and strengthen its patent assets to gain an edge over Google. BBM messaging platform could be a welcome improvement to iMessage. They lack their own mobile platform. Would allow them to compete in the mobile space and provide protection from Google & Apple. Tablet OS is based on Android. RIM's business model would not fit with their own of selling amazon.com low cost hardware bundled with their services (see Amazon Kindle Fire). Would gain leverage from RIM's enterprise business. Could use it to help boost its Migration of RIM users or the integration of QNX and Windows 8 could be difficult. They already have an existing hardware partner in Nokia. Microsoft Exchange Server over already waning competitors like Novell and IBM. Would gain Enterprise Grade Security,including secure mes- saging. Already positioned to lead the global smartphone market without anyone's help. Why would they buy a company in | transition? SAMSUNG Smaller company. Financing would be difficult. They lack their own mobile platform. Acquiring RIM's enterprise security and market share will make them bigger. hTC quietly brilliant Financing on their own would be near impossible. They would probably need Microsoft's help, who might view RIM as a Would help improve its own NOKIA weak smart phone offering and regain some business market share. threat. RIM's Uncertain Future Acquiring a company in such rapid decline is a bit like trying to catch a falling knife by the handle. But with RIM now trading around asset value, potential suitors might be tempted to take a gamble. The right partnership could unlock significant value in terms of market share, services and patents and preserve RIM as an important part of the smartphone ecosystem. Whilst the next year for RIM is filled with uncertainty, at the very least it's guaranteed to be an interesting story. RIRM : BlackBerry. Sources *Likely Buyers for RIM? Amazon and Microsoft/Nokia - Forbes * Facebook Tries, Tries Again on a Smartphone - NY Times *How RIM Splitting Would Affect the Mobile Industry - Business Insider *Why A Sale of RIM Could Face an Uphill Climb - Wall Street Journal * RIM: A Valuable Asset; If only There Were any Buyers - Forbes *Has Research * Why RIM Won't be Bought: There's not much There Forbes * RIM Rises: Take-Out Candidate? Salvage Value? - Barron's * RIM Chief: Nothing Wrong Here ChannelNomics * RIM: KI Yourself So Others Might Liv t, but patents and network could entice buyer- The Guardian IN Motion Become AB - Seeking Alpha Presented by Firmex -Gizmodo * RIM's value sinks as BlackBerrys are *HTC, ZTE among potential buyers of RIM - China.orgen * RIM timeline - Toronto Sun RIM Should be Worth at Least as much as its parts - Beta Fool in RIM : BlackBerry. Who Will Acquire RIM? It's been a long and hard road for RIM since the glory days of 2007. With its stock price trading at record lows, RIM finds itself at a crossroads. Many different strategic options are being explored in an attempt to overturn RIM's rapid decline. Despite its struggles, RIM still retains some valuable assets. And with them now trading well below asset value, RIM could be an attractive acquisition target. So who, if anyone, is looking to acquire RIM and why? Timeline Canada's most 2007 RIRA profitable company iPhone launches Blackberry Bold released. Positive reception & sales 2008 Android launches Blackberry Storm released. Poor reviews. Stock price plummets 18% Launch of Blackberry Torch. Blackberry loses top spot in smartphone market share 2010 2011 8 RIM lays off 10% of workforce $1 CEOS cut their salaries to one dollar Playbook launch disappoints due to lack of key features Three day Blackberry outage leaves millions of users stranded Delays new QNX operating system 2012 Co-CEO's Jim Balsilie & Mike Lazardis step down Thorston Heins is appointed as RIM's CEO RIM hires advisors to assess "strategic options" O RIM lays off 30% of workforce Stock price plunges to record lows 10 Blackberry OS 10 devices delayed until 2013 RIM's Value Despite its rapid decline and harsh press coverage, many experts agree that RIM still has value. Its user base, services, patents and market share - particularly in the enterprise space - are not to be overlooked. User Base Services 70 Million Users 20 Million I Business Users BBM $2.5 Billion $1.6 Billion Worth est. Worth est. Market Share Intellectual Property Patents worth between $1-4 Billion 63% 11% Enterprise General So who could acquire RIM? Why? Why Not? Rumored to be working with HTC on a Facebook phone called "Buffy" expected to be released next year. Needs to monetize the mobile market. The alleged failed attempt to create their own in-house phone and need the knowledge and experience to build one. facebook Integration concerns. They just bought Motorola, would the SEC allow it? Would increase access to the Google enterprise market and gain more patent assets. RIM's development knowledge is also transferable (same programming language). Integration concerns and regulatory barriers. Would bolster its position in enterprise and strengthen its patent assets to gain an edge over Google. BBM messaging platform could be a welcome improvement to iMessage. They lack their own mobile platform. Would allow them to compete in the mobile space and provide protection from Google & Apple. Tablet OS is based on Android. RIM's business model would not fit with their own of selling amazon.com low cost hardware bundled with their services (see Amazon Kindle Fire). Would gain leverage from RIM's enterprise business. Could use it to help boost its Migration of RIM users or the integration of QNX and Windows 8 could be difficult. They already have an existing hardware partner in Nokia. Microsoft Exchange Server over already waning competitors like Novell and IBM. Would gain Enterprise Grade Security,including secure mes- saging. Already positioned to lead the global smartphone market without anyone's help. Why would they buy a company in | transition? SAMSUNG Smaller company. Financing would be difficult. They lack their own mobile platform. Acquiring RIM's enterprise security and market share will make them bigger. hTC quietly brilliant Financing on their own would be near impossible. They would probably need Microsoft's help, who might view RIM as a Would help improve its own NOKIA weak smart phone offering and regain some business market share. threat. RIM's Uncertain Future Acquiring a company in such rapid decline is a bit like trying to catch a falling knife by the handle. But with RIM now trading around asset value, potential suitors might be tempted to take a gamble. The right partnership could unlock significant value in terms of market share, services and patents and preserve RIM as an important part of the smartphone ecosystem. Whilst the next year for RIM is filled with uncertainty, at the very least it's guaranteed to be an interesting story. RIRM : BlackBerry. Sources *Likely Buyers for RIM? Amazon and Microsoft/Nokia - Forbes * Facebook Tries, Tries Again on a Smartphone - NY Times *How RIM Splitting Would Affect the Mobile Industry - Business Insider *Why A Sale of RIM Could Face an Uphill Climb - Wall Street Journal * RIM: A Valuable Asset; If only There Were any Buyers - Forbes *Has Research * Why RIM Won't be Bought: There's not much There Forbes * RIM Rises: Take-Out Candidate? Salvage Value? - Barron's * RIM Chief: Nothing Wrong Here ChannelNomics * RIM: KI Yourself So Others Might Liv t, but patents and network could entice buyer- The Guardian IN Motion Become AB - Seeking Alpha Presented by Firmex -Gizmodo * RIM's value sinks as BlackBerrys are *HTC, ZTE among potential buyers of RIM - China.orgen * RIM timeline - Toronto Sun RIM Should be Worth at Least as much as its parts - Beta Fool in