RIM Expected to Begin Layoffs Globally
While there hasn't been an official statement nor actual numbers on how many employees may be affected — it's known that RIM's market share has severely dropped off. When a corporation has problems, so do it's employees.
Between Nov. 2010 to Feb. 2011 Google's market share rose by 7 points — meanwhile RIM drops 4.6 points. This shows that there has been a shift in what consumers and even businesses desire.
The appeal of smart devices is on many different levels than just having a great messaging system. Many people are getting used to the idea that the phone is just as powerful as some laptops. I believe RIM is struggling, because Android and iOS provide an experience that some would call "magical", or even "futuristic". RIM has added multimedia features and even sports some compelling apps, but the support to make it viral is no longer present.
As a former BlackBerry user I do feel bad for the company that made a serious impact in the smart phone world. At least they're doing better than Palm's market share.
Source: Business Insider & Reuters
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