BlackBerry was released on May 12, 2023, but it only showed the story of the infamous company till 2008. The movie delves into the nitty-gritty details of the start, rise, and fall of RIM (Research in Motion), founded by Mike Lazaridis and Douglas Fregin. It was directed by Matt Johnson, who also co-wrote the movie.
The film ends in the year 2008, and Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis find themselves facing investigations from the SEC due to equity errors. Simultaneously, Apple and Android started to get more attention as users transitioned from BlackBerry to iPhones. However, there is a lot of information that wasn’t covered in the movie, so let’s explore what happened after BlackBerry’s end.
The Storm Wasn’t a Success For BlackBerry
The ending scene of the movie loops back to one of the opening scenes, where Mike Lazaridis gets annoyed by the buzzing of a device made in China. Further, the company collaborates with Chinese manufacturers to make touchscreen devices known as Storm. But Mike discovers the buzzing sound again in the phones and starts fixing them one by one. However, a series of consistent and, in some cases, ill-advised decisions led to a significant amount of criticism for BlackBerry. This ultimately resulted in the shutdown of their phone-related services.
Let’s now rewind to the 2000s when BlackBerry had to respond to Steve Jobs’s successful launch of the iPhone in some way so they decided to make a touchscreen smartphone known as the BlackBerry Storm. The company didn’t want to copy Apple completely so they thought about making the screen ‘clickable’. They had high hopes for this model as it had some unique elements but things didn’t go as planned.
While the idea was promising, its execution proved to be unreliable as the mechanism of the clickable touchscreen was unreliable and caused delays in typing, leading to a frustrating user experience. Also, the BlackBerry OS was originally designed for their button devices so it couldn’t work well with the touchscreen phones. Most importantly, the software of the device was buggy, resulting in frequent crashes and freezes.
BlackBerry is Still Reeling From its Delayed Response to the Changing Market Trends
When an individual embarks on a business venture, their primary objective is usually to achieve immense success. However, due to a series of unfortunate decisions or external factors, not everyone attains this goal. BlackBerry serves as a case in point, having missed numerous opportunities, leading to its downfall. This struggle was poignantly depicted in the closing scenes of the movie BlackBerry.
BlackBerry enjoyed immense success in the early 2000s with its iconic smartphones that offered email, messaging, and data security features. However, the company failed to respond quickly and effectively to the success of its competitors, such as Apple and Android. While these competitors provided vast app stores, BlackBerry could only offer a limited experience to its users. So, what happened after Blackberry — the movie?
Their inability to keep up with marketing trends led customers to transition to other devices. The company also had to go through a financial struggle, evident from the significant decline in its average stock price. They were forced to take cost-saving measures, including sudden employee layoffs, actions which unfortunately tarnished the company’s reputation.
The Company Made a Strategic Shift to Software and Security
When BlackBerry’s attempts to reclaim its position in the smartphone market proved unsuccessful, it strategically pivoted towards establishing itself as a software company. To lay the groundwork, BlackBerry started acquiring several companies like QNX Software Systems and Certicom. By the late 2010s, BlackBerry started focusing on the Internet of Things (IoT) and cybersecurity.
Over the years, BlackBerry’s software and services business has experienced steady growth. However, it was never able to regain its past glory. The company has formed partnerships with organizations in different sectors like healthcare, government, finance, etc. This strategic shift also had a mixed impact, as strong players like Microsoft were already dominating the software industry.
BlackBerry is Still Operating
The ending of the movie BlackBerry gave the impression that the company folded up. However, it was still operating for several years after the BlackBerry timeline ended. Production stopped in 2016, and now, most of the phone’s features aren’t functional. The company still operates — as a software provider. They now provide security and safety-based software with a focus on IoT systems, cybersecurity, and automotive safety.
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