Are app developers abandoning RIM for greener pastures?

Research in Motion (RIM) hasn’t exactly caught the app wave in time the way their competition, Android and Apple have. Even though the company has been releasing newer handsets and software updates on a timely basis, the most recent being the Curve 9220 launch, their app market is still stagnant. In fact, existing app developers have started saying goodbye to RIM for more happening platforms like Android and iOS. The most recent one to abandon ship is ‘YouMail Inc’ , which provides caller identity and voice-mail service for smartphones. The relationship between the two companies has hit a rocky patch due to dwindling market shares and users fleeing to other platforms. Alec Saunders, Vice President, Developer Relations at RIM said, “YouMail's statement was a "little bizarre" and that its basic premise was wrong. While BlackBerry has some challenging times ahead. Visual voice mail 'isn't a business anymore, as it is a feature that comes with most phones." 

Rough times

Explaining the main reason for ending ties with RIM, Alex Quilici, chief executive, YouMail Inc, said, “It's a little bit like musical chairs. We have limited resources, and right now, there's no seat for RIM for us. We are seeing our BlackBerry audience steadily shrink, with a steady exodus of those users moving to the iPhone and to Android." Honestly, we aren’t the least bit surprised that this is happening since if you take a look at the type of phones RIM is launching, one can get a much more powerful and feature rich Android, Symbian or Windows Phone for that same amount, so why would you buy a BlackBerry? Their flagship handset, the Bold 9900 has a  5MP shooter, capable of 1080p 720p video, which is great but it’s a fixed-focus camera! Who uses a fixed-focus camera, especially on their flagship phone in this day and age? This is one of the reasons apps like Instagram, will never come for BlackBerry, due to inadequate hardware. If RIM are still under the impression that their phones are designed for corporate and enterprise level users and they don’t care about things like a good camera, then they’re wrong. Consumerization of IT has driven business and organizations towards the more popular devices like iPhones and Android handsets due to the simple fact that the app support is a lot better and it’s only going to get bigger and better as devices evolve.