Mobile operators set to deliver for BlackBerry



Research In Motion (RIM) is counting on its relationships with 150 carriers to avoid the fate of another smartphone pioneer that fell on hard times - Palm.

RIM's BlackBerry 10, due to be introduced on Wednesday, has been compared by analysts to Palm's doomed WebOS, a smartphone operating system unveiled four years ago this week. The technology drew rave reviews at the Consumer Electronics Show and sparked a stock rally for Palm, only to fizzle months later.

Like Palm, RIM rebuilt its latest operating system to compete with Apple's iPhone after years of market-share declines. RIM has also received positive reviews for the changes, more than doubling its stock since late September, including a 14 per cent gainthis month.

The difference this time is RIM has the support of carriers around the world, said Frank Boulben, the chief marketing officer for the Waterloo, Ontario-based company. Palm relied purely on Sprint Nextel Corporation, the number three mobile phone service in the United States.

"They launched with one carrier worldwide," said Mr Boulben. "We are currently in the labs of 150 carriers around the world. We are not comparing things that are comparable."

While Palm eventually added more carriers when the WebOS-based Pre phone was sold in Europe, the decision to debut with just one carrier in the US was a "really, really bad choice", said Alexander Peterc, an analyst at Exane BNP Paribas in London, who has a neutral rating on RIM. "RIM has wider carrier distribution going for it."

Analysts such as UBSs Phillip Huang and Morgan Stanley's Ehud Gelblum have compared RIM to Palm during the past two months, suggesting that optimism surrounding the BlackBerry 10 is excessive. In 2009, WebOS excitement sent Palm's stock to about US$18 from $3, only to fall back below $4 the next year. Palm's revamped phones failed to catch on with consumers, and the company agreed to a takeover by Hewlett-Packard in 2010. The products were discontinued the following year.

RIM's rally "is reminiscent of Palm", Mr Huang said in a report last month.

The company's 14 per cent gain to $13.56 in New York was the biggest since April 3, 2009.

There are also technological similarities between the BlackBerry 10 and WebOS. RIM's software lets users flip between apps with their fingertips, just as the Palm Pre did in 2009.

In both cases, the companies faced the daunting task of pitching an unfamiliar platform to consumers, said Brian Blair, an analyst with Wedge Partners in New York.

With BlackBerry 10, RIM aims to persuade long-time BlackBerry fans to adopt a touch screen, rather than RIM's hallmark keyboard. While the BlackBerry 10 lineup will include models with regular keyboards, the RIM chief executive Thorsten Heins has said he expects the touch version to account for most sales.

"As they ask their 80 million customers to do this, those same customers are going to be taking an honest look at the other devices that are out on the market," said Mr Blair.

RIM's most loyal business customers will give BlackBerry 10 an initial boost. That could account for 5 million to 10 million units in the first full quarter BlackBerry 10 is on sale, said Exane BNP Paribas's Mr Peterc.

Wooing the broader public will be tougher, he added.

"It will be enough to keep them going this year, but next year will be much harder," said Mr Peterc, who now mostly uses an iPhone himself. "As a consumer, I've moved on."

Sales of the BlackBerry 10 will begin next month. Some carriers - including Rogers Communications, Canada's largest - have already begun taking BlackBerry 10 orders.

"If you have the carriers committed, that's very important for a successful launch," said RIM's Mr Boulben, who previously worked at Vodafone Group and France Telecom's Orange unit.

RIM also had 79 million subscribers and $2.9 billion (Dh10.65bn) in cash at the end of last quarter, money it can tap to market the new phones.

Palm only had about $250 million in cash and short-term investments at the beginning of 2009.

Still, RIM today faces a hurdle that Palm didn't. The smartphone market is more mature today, said Steven Li, an analyst at Raymond James in Toronto. Apple's iOS platform and Google's Android also did not account for more than 80 per cent of US sales in 2009.

"Back then, smartphone penetration was still quite low and there was no entrenched ecosystem," said Mr Li, who has the equivalent of a hold rating on RIM.

"Today, you have two major entrenched ecosystems in Android and iOS, and smartphone penetration is maturing."

The company is planning to launch six brand-new BlackBerry devices in the next 12 months to freshen up the handsets available to business users, according to Arrow Comunications, a UK telecoms solutions provider.

While RIM did not have a stand at this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, a number of executives are present, talking up the release of the new devices this year, which will be discussed at the launch of the BlackBerry 10 operating system.

Speaking to FierceWireless, Mr Boulben said two handsets running BlackBerry 10 would be launched at Wednesday's event.

He said one would be a full touchscreen device, while the other will boast a Qwerty keyboard, as the firm looks to appeal to those who have stuck with it on the back of the keypads.

By the time next year ticks around, RIM will have launched six new devices on to the market covering high, middle and low-end sectors.

Mr Boulben also noted that the company had not done any exclusive deals with carriers, adding: "We intend over time as we transition the portfolio to have a full range of devices."

Corporate and government customers will be targeted by the mid and high-end devices, which will boast the increased security provided by the new OS.

As well as a boost in security, Mr Boulben also promised the introduction of 70,000 applications at the launch of the devices, with 90 per cent of the most popular apps around ready to go on the devices by the time they come to market.

BlackBerry 10 is the evolution of RIM's existing BlackBerry operating system and will feature a new interface, which boasts a host of time-saving features for business users.

BlackBerry Flow, which allows users to scroll seamlessly between apps, has been added, as well as BlackBerry Peek, a feature allowing users to glance at other applications without leaving the one they are currently using. BlackBerry Hub can combine a number of inboxes, message and notifications into one location, meaning that professionals spinning a number of plates can keep their eye on a number of things and never miss a meeting.

* with Bloomberg News

Cryopreservation: A timeline
  1. Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
  2. Ovarian tissue surgically removed
  3. Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
  4. Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
  5. Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
What is Folia?

Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.

Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."

Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.

In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love". 

There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.

While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."

Other workplace saving schemes
  • The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
  • Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
  • National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
  • Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
What is blockchain?

Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.

The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.

Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.

However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.

Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
La Mer lowdown

La Mer beach is open from 10am until midnight, daily, and is located in Jumeirah 1, well after Kite Beach. Some restaurants, like Cupagahwa, are open from 8am for breakfast; most others start at noon. At the time of writing, we noticed that signs for Vicolo, an Italian eatery, and Kaftan, a Turkish restaurant, indicated that these two restaurants will be open soon, most likely this month. Parking is available, as well as a Dh100 all-day valet option or a Dh50 valet service if you’re just stopping by for a few hours.