Kristian Tear My Interview Questions – CrackBerry!

CrackBerry_Kevin … you have a great blog and user base, but I feel this latest opportunity is wasted! You have great connections which you can ask more than the first four “touchy feely” type questions. Ask the hard questions, the ones that both end users and respectable intellects/analysts can feed off of. Have the new COO avoid questions, then we’d know what to look for at the next quarterly results. This is not about taking jabs and Kristian, nor trying to hurt our favourite company … its about getting the facts we all need to know about from someone in his roll.

He gave you two hints: SupplyChain & BB10 Touch device he’s been told not to show you!! You could’ve at least let the fan come alive and ask “is that due to it being a final production run device or closer to a full production spec device?” Another possible question you could’ve asked was which component partners are you working with.

So for provocative thought … here are mine:
1. Why is the RIM company name taking a back seat to BlackBerry?

2. Is RIM ever going to consider a backup plan to set the BlackBerry brand specifically for Corporate users, and a new brand for consumers? If so would there be some similarities to what is offered with BB10?

3. Is your primary focus, outside of cutting costs, focusing on supply chain efficiency?

4. Do you foresee the initial BB10 products launching at competing prices or more price competitive for high-end models? Would efficient Supply-chain figure into this?

5. Considering the current economy in a state of negative flux globally, how far is RIM using its products and services as a whole company wide?

6. Has RIM considered using BBM as full infrastructure suite for unified communications beyond just the handhelds?

What I mean is – BBM is very much like a mobile IM Chat that is now getting VOIP and soon video functionality  It already can seamlessly share media and calendar appointments and link to existing corporate core communication staples: Lotus Domino, Microsoft Exchange, and Novel GroupWise. What I’m getting at here is will RIM bring BBM to the desktop OS’ (OSX, Windows XP/7/8, and Linux) and allow communication and integration – BEFORE Microsoft with their Skype acquisition, or Apple with iMessage on their desktop begins to take precedence in this; or has this ship sailed?

7. RIM suffered a significant partner loss back in April 2012 with Celestica no longer being a circuit board manufacturer. Can you please name which component manufacturers you’re working with on BB10? Is there any you wished RIM could work with yet was unable to for whatever reason? 

This is what I mean about the tough questions, the hard questions that even end users need to know. Peace.

EDIT: Another question I just thought of to ask!!

8. I’m also curious about RIM’s projections of which model series will sell better in which regions and markets on a global scale and how that will affect their supply-chain and launch strategy?! Hmmm. I’m willing to bet the Asian-PAC markets are going full-touch more by a 80/20% in favor of all touch.