“Microsoft will invest in the BlackBerry platform from Research in Motion, becoming the default search provider in BlackBerry browsers and maps, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said during a surprise keynote appearance at BlackBerry World today,” Matt Hamblen reports for Computerworld.
Hamblen reports, “A video during the keynote showed BlackBerry voice search also using Bing, according to live bloggers. Gartner analyst Michael Gartenberg tweeted the news on Bing’s becoming the default search engine on the BlackBerry. Later, Gartenberg tweeted: ‘Wonder how much MSFT paid for that Bing deal?’ Microsoft’s partnership with Nokia, reported in February, cost Microsoft more than $1 billion by comparison, according to reports.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Yet another reason not to buy a BlackBerry. So, how much could it cost to be the default search and map provider on a dying platform? Hopefully RIM’s delusional two-headed CEO soaked Monkey Boy to the utmost. NHL teams cost money, you know. Next, Balmy will approach Sony Ericsson to join his kept coalition of Apple roadkill.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “floydpinks” for the heads up.]
jesus.. talk about putting a nail in the coffin.
The dinosaurs can mate all they want, it won’t make a difference.
I’m sorry Jesus, did you mean that pairing with Microsoft will put the nail in the coffin of RIM, or did you mean that the other way around?
Never mind – I guess either way works!
This is the first step in a RIM takeover by Microshaft. They arent just satisfied destroying Nokia. Perhaps, there is a backroom deal we don’t know about with the two Steve’s. Have Microsoft systematically destroy an apple competition.
Two drunks trying to hold each other up.
Make that three: Nokia.
That’ll save your company, Ballmy. Way to go.
Re: MDN’s Take. Does RIM have a stake in one of Canada’s hockey teams?
The ‘Money” RIM CEO has tried to buy 2 different NHL teams without the NHL’s permission and move them to Canada. The NHL has shut him down each time.
I guess the RIM CEO doesn’t understand the road to an NHL franchise goes through Garry Bettman’s Swiss Bank Account.
Jim Balsillie tried to buy the Phoenix Coyotes in 2009 and move them to Canada.
RIM must be bleeding badly if they are willing sign away the default search engine spot for what amounts to be a band-aid. For Microsoft’s part, they are probably overpaying to put their search engine on a dying platform.
How is this not lose-lose?
Nokia cannot be real happy. Talk about screwing over your partners – again!
Googles actions certainly opens the door to these kinds of actions. It’s hard to understand Google doing the operating system thing. It will cause a schism that will eventually pit Google and Adroid against everyone else. Funny, it didn’t have to go this way. Google could have simply crushed Microsoft Search aspirations by being a good partner with everyone.
I notice, watching ‘Castle’ last night, that µ$oft paid ’em some big bucks to product-place a Win7Phone- previously it was quite obvious that Richard Castle (and probably Nathan Fillion) was using an iPhone. It’s a hit show. I’d like to know how much they paid….
I noticed the same thing on Hawaii 5 O. Thought the lead guy still seems to have his iPhone. its the other detectives using the Windoze phones.
Dell spends fortunes on this. The first CSI shows had labs full of Macs (which is what the real ones actually use!). Now all you see are Dells, nearly as dead as the victims. If movie/tv art directors could use whatever they wanted, you’d see nothing but Macs.
hey, did you hear Microsoft’s answer to Google Goggles?
It’s called “impotence”.
This is what Men in Suits® do—they make “strategic alliances.” You know, like PlaysforSure, and all of Microsoft’s previous “partnerships”: http://www.asymco.com/2011/02/11/in-memoriam-microsofts-previous-strategic-mobile-partners/
Making products—that’s for the little people in the labcoats.
Sounds like M$ is starting to devour another victim from inside out
So does that mean the Playbook finally has an application?
You can’t read email and you have no applications but by god you can bing all day long baby!
I think I’d rather be tied to a chair, covered in syrup and fed to a colony of ants.
It’s like the dodo and dinosaur teaming up together
Credit where credit’s due, the bird’s eye view, Ordnance survey, and London street map views on bing maps are really good.
You could, as an alternative to the iPhone, buy a Blackberry and Bing ‘what’s Ballmer’s right nut up to’ and get some answers that way.
And no, I don’t know what Ballmer’s other nut is up to, but it seems to me that Microsoft is the T-Rex of the information technology world rampaging through the landscape and eating up dying carcasses of dinosaurs like RIM and Nokia.
Making a deal with Microsoft nowadays is the partnership equivalent of being patted on the shoulder by the man with the distinctive hat: you only know the significance of the gesture when you’re dead 30 seconds later.
Henceforth they shall be known as “Dingleberries”!
BingBerry!
The fact that MS has to pay others to use Bing is part of why Apple beat them in profits this quarter. Need proof? Follow the links to see how they just keep burning billions online!
This is just RIM whoring itself itself to a would-be purchaser.
Anything to slow the advance of the Goorgle monster is a winner in my book.
They got the Ballmer kiss of death. Fat slob contagion has finally reached Ontario, Canada.
Wow… friendly fire, so Ballmers going to jam up the gears of Apple competitors (even exposing some Moto Android phones to Bing)… haha, nice
One stupid decision after another.
Terrible news! I spent 2 hours on the phone with VW support – how to add Google as a search provider on my BB Bold. Can’t make it…
I’ve tried Bing for few weeks and can’t deal with it. Takes loooong time to load and mostly brings completely irrelevant results.
Not enough BlackBerry is way behind Apple and Android, now they had to mess up search… Good think VW has 30 days return policy. Will change BB to some Android phone.