“Research In Motion Ltd.’s second BlackBerry failure in 10 months risks damaging the company’s reputation as the most reliable service and gives a boost to Apple Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Nokia Oyj,” Ville Heiskanen reports for Bloomberg.
MacDailyNews Note: Microsoft needs all the help they can get.
Heiskanen continues, “The glitch shut off e-mail and Internet access for three hours yesterday and affected all carriers in North America, where the company has more than 8 million subscribers.”
“Companies may increasingly opt for e-mail services that offer more flexibility, shying away from systems such as the BlackBerry that are fully controlled by Research In Motion, said Gartner Inc. analyst Phillip Redman. Customers using Apple’s iPhone or handsets with Microsoft’s Windows have more control over the servers and software that run their e-mail systems,” Heiskanen reports.
“An upgrade to Research In Motion’s network operation center caused the problem, the Wall Street Journal reported today, citing a person familiar with the matter. The company said in a statement at 12:30 p.m. New York time that it’s continuing to investigate,” Heiskanen reports.
“The BlackBerry had 41 percent of the U.S. smart-phone market last quarter, Canalys said this month. The iPhone, released in the U.S. in June, captured 28 percent. Palm, which uses Windows on some of its devices, was third with 9 percent. Other devices that use Windows include Motorola Inc.’s Q9 and Samsung Electronics Co.’s BlackJack,” Heiskanen reports. “Globally, Nokia dominates the market for smart phones, ahead of the BlackBerry and iPhone [which has only been available in the U.S. for 7 months and in Germany, UK, and France since last autumn].”
Full article here.