BlackBerry-maker RIM is restructuring and cutting 2,000 jobs. There have been some management changes. Jim Balsille and Mike Lazaridis will retain their co-CEO positions for now. Meanwhile, Google management was spied using RIM's iconic BlackBerry Bold, not using an Android Nexus "Pure Google Experience" smartphone.
On the other side of the globe, the great BlackBerry competitor Google's Chairman Eric Schmidt was in Indonesia attending an entrepreneur summit, and was photographed using a BlackBerry Bold 9780.
RIM BlackBerry Management changes include:
- Thorsten Heins is taking on the expanded role of COO, Product and Sales.
- Robin Bienfait is maintaining her responsibilities as CIO.
- David Yach, in his role as CTO, Software, will focus on current and
future software platforms, as well as the surrounding developer and
application ecosystem. - RIM's global workforce is expected to be approximately 17,000 people.
The next generation of BlackBerry smartphones are the BlackBerry Torch 9850, aka the BlackBerry Torch 2, BlackBerry Bold 9790 Bellagio, BlackBerry Bold 9930 Touch and a new BlackBerry Curve. RIM has been criticized for management bloat as well as not keeping up with current fast-paced technology.
We're wondering if Eric Schmidt was using a BlackBerry for the same reason President Obama does, enterprise security. The BlackBerry Playbook was recently approved as thee first tablet device to be certified for use by the U.S. government (FIPS 140-2 certification).
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