Blackberry_Planet__the_Story_of_Research_in_Motion_and_the_Little_Device_That_Took_the_World_by_Storm_Review

In BlackBerry Planet: The Story of Research In Motion and the Little Device That Took the World by Storm (Wiley, 2009), Alastair Sweeny chronicles the development of the immensely successful Canadian company Research In Motion, and focuses on its hit device, the BlackBerry . In chapter one, Sweeny chooses to present us with the face of the BlackBerry today. Rather than lay out RIM’s early developments, he draws in the reader by describing the BlackBerry’s addictive properties and massive success. He highlights some of the BlackBerry’s key features to explain its widespread use, with over 25 million users worldwide and 85% of public corporations supplying their workers with the device. He goes on to explain that the BlackBerry first caught the attention of politicians when rising above other communication devices during the 9/11 crisis. Its ability to send messages when other devices failed earned it a reputation of reliability and security. Coupled with a preference for wireless communication channels over regular mail during the anthrax scare, the Blackberry really took off. It became such a pervasive part of Congress that presidents eventually fought for the right to use it during their term. For security reasons, presidents are not allowed to use the device, and such was the case during Bill Clinton’s and George W. Bush’s presidency. However, demonstrating the BlackBerry’s role as an essential product, Sweeny allocates pages to describe Barack Obama’s struggle to keep his BlackBerry. He also tells of other high profile individuals who are avid BlackBerry users, such as Queen Elizabeth and French President Nicholas Sarkozy. Another example of the BlackBerry’s predominance is the consequent alteration of rules in the House of Commons to accommodate the use of handheld devices. Sweeney also displays the other side of the coin by featuring stories about different individuals who are fighting against the “CrackBerry”. He shows that the device’s prevalence in people’s lives forces them to always stay connected. This type of situation causes individuals to take their work home and adversely affects their family life. Although some people try to fight this “disease”, Sweeny explains that public opinion is mixed. In chapter two, Sweeny traces the birth of Research in Motion and the development of the Blackberry. He introduces us to key members of the RIM team, including co-founder Mike Lazaridis, the engineering brain of the company, and Jim Balsillie , the talented business manager. Lazaridis, son to Greek immigrants, displayed engineering talent early on in his childhood. After high school, he attended the University of Waterloo to pursue a degree in electrical engineering. In 1985, two months shy of achieving this goal, he dropped out to start RIM with high school friend Doug Fregin. Between 1985 and 1990, the company enjoyed some initial success selling networked display monitors and completing contract work on technology for the film industry, earning the prestigious Emmy and Academy Awards. But Lazaridis knew the future lay in wireless digital technology, and so, in 1989, the company shifted its efforts to the Mobitex: a network technology which enabled wireless communication. The company first got involved in the project through a consulting contract, but quickly spread its responsibilities to programming and engineering as well. Working on Mobitex and mastering a whole new range of technologies set the stage for RIM’s BlackBerry breakout. By late 1991, RIM created the world’s first commercial wireless email program, receiving an initial payment totalling $250,000. In 1996, after developing various wireless digital technologies, RIM finally came up with the first prototype for the BlackBerry- the 900 Inter@ctive Pager. This first model had several flaws, namely its relatively big size, a short battery life and a hefty price tag. Before introducing the next model, RIM added great innovations to its product, including optimizing the device for thumb computing, for which it filed for a patent in 1998. The next model, the new 950, was a sleeker and more efficient version of its predecessor, really gaining traction thanks to its “all-in-one” feature. It received rave reviews and generated high sales, but the founder got the hunch that his new wonder needed a proper name. With the help of a marketing firm, RIM adopted the catchy and iconic term “BlackBerry”. Through successful marketing and rebranding, the BlackBerry became an instant commercial hit when it was launched in late 1999. In April 2000, RIM released the first BlackBerry with a full length brick-sized shape, the 957 Wireless Handheld, which offered uninterrupted connectivity and a handful of other benefits. Sweeny finishes off the chapter by discussing RIM’s cash flow problems. RIM was able to secure capital through government and business investments, as well as going public. However, growing operating expenses led to losses, so the company cut back on costs and increased efficiency to emerge stronger than ever. In chapter three, Sweeny focuses on RIM’s dreadful five year court battle against a patent troll–a patent owner who never makes his intellectual property into products, but rather waits for other companies to do so, forcing them to pay royalties or licensing fees. The patent troll in this case, an obscure IP firm named New Technologies Products (NTP), took advantage of the weak patent system in the United States. What started as a seemingly minor lawsuit snowballed into the largest technology patent payout in the U.S. history–an astounding $612.5 million from RIM’s pocket. But the damage could have been much worse, and at one point, the company faced the threat of injunction or even a complete shutdown. What really swayed the pendulum in NTP’s favour were slip ups by RIM lawyers in the initial court proceedings back in 2001. The apparent “dirty tricks” the lawyers were performing enraged the ruling judge and led to a verdict of 14 wilfully infringed claims. RIM then took on a stubborn approach, engaging in arduous appeal processes. When the saga dragged on and on, without substantial progress but with grim prospects for RIM, political powers finally intervened to aid RIM in its struggles. RIM’s strong presence in Congress and the public’s love for the product truly saved the company. Faced with pressure from both the government and the public, the patent office was forced to speed up the final review and subsequent cancellation of all the disputed NTP claims. Government influence on the justice system also bought RIM time to deal with the threat of injunction, allowing it to come up with a way to rework its operating system and install non infringing software if this became required. In 2006, the two companies finally reached a settlement of $612.5 million, with the important clause that NTP can never come after RIM again. Although in this gruesome process RIM’s wireless e-mail market share and share prices had plunged, the company was able to benefit from several favourable outcomes. The highly publicized court case raised brand awareness, turned NTP to RIM’s competitors, and forced smart cell phone makers to adopt RIM’s software in order to avoid similar patent claims and enjoy RIM’s immunity. It also taught the company to incorporate patenting as a standard operation procedure. In chapter four, Sweeny chronicles the seven year period between 2002 and 2008 as an era of development and challenges for the company. During these years, RIM was putting continuous efforts in technical innovations, globalization, and expansion of its products using strategic alliances and by forming carrier relationships. In order to seed BlackBerry developers, the company provided a free platform for applications and games to be created. To reach more consumers, it also started offering products and services for small businesses. The explosion of sales in 2002 left the company with a debt-free balance sheet and the opportunity to enhance its marketing and research and development efforts. RIM used celebrity endorsement and a constant update of its products to enhance its image as a leading technological company. Apart from expanding to Europe and competing with the preeminent companies in that region, RIM also targeted the world’s fastest growing markets, namely India and China. There, the company chose to operate strategically by partnering with large and established companies. To attract users with a low budget in developing countries, RIM offered flexible use and payment options, uniquely tailored to meet local customer needs. But the company also delegated local marketing to its telecom partners, freeing itself to focus on vital research and development. In the face of all these positive developments, there were also considerable challenges and setbacks. For example, in 2002, Jim Balsillie had to make the tough decision to cut back 10% of the company’s workforce due to weak sales of a high-end product. Another setback was presented in 2007, when Canadian and American regulators enforced financial penalties and the restatement of financial statements due to incompliance with regulations. The 2008 recession did not prove very detrimental for the technological giant. Although consumer spending was drastically decreased, mobile use was not significantly affected, and overall, the company had a good year. Steadily moving into consumer space, the company is facing serious competitors such as the Finnish giant Nokia, Apple’s iPhone and various other Asian entrants like HTC, Samsung and LG. The touchscreen iPhone boasted a superb web browser with easy access. To compete, RIM came up with the Bold, Pearl Flip phone, the Curve, and the Storm touch phone. The rivalry between Apple and RIM forced consumers to make a choice, but it also boosted RIM sales. Competing against Nokia on the global scale proved even harder, as this company controls a significant market share and carries an assortment of devices to reach all consumer levels. Sweeny concludes the chapter with an optimistic forecast for RIM, as the company continues to innovate and plays on its strength of offering security and all-in-one devices. In chapter 5 , Sweeny explores the benefits and detriments of using the BlackBerry. He first outlines the high return on investment offered to companies, with increased personal productivity, a better workflow and the advantage of immediacy. Other than quantitative analysis that supports these claims, there are also qualitative factors, such as visibility and speed. The real value of the Blackberry lies in eliminating artificial delays, increasing responsiveness, optimizing the use of resources and cutting costs. In addition to these assets, the BlackBerry also boasts top notch security. In fact, it is so superior that there is growing concern over the device’s use by terrorists and other offenders. The BlackBerry uses two encryption systems: the BlackBerry Enterprise Server and the Network Operating System. These systems compress and encrypt e-mails so that they cannot be tracked or read. Even RIM itself does not have the ability to decipher e-mails. However, the device is immensely useful for other purposes, such as in the police force. It encourages autonomy, improves productivity and cuts waiting times in communication. But all these positive features make for an extremely addictive device. In today’s changing nature of work and family life, the BlackBerry plays a significant role in blurring the lines. Workers are expected to always stay connected, which contributes to strains and stress. Repetitive-stress injuries like the BlackBerry Thumb and Tech Neck actually exist and require treatment. With the increased reliance on technology, workload and expectations have also augmented . While the BlackBerry helps to keep updated and organizes life, the benefits are clearly skewed towards work, not social life. The device also acts as a distraction, actually lowering productivity and sometimes causing injuries and loss of life. The author describes afflicted individuals as digital zombies. As a subset of hard-core users, there are also the Personal Digital Dopes, who ignore social etiquette by boldly checking their phones in public. Keeping these facts in mind, the author proposes that the finger should not be pointed to the technology itself, but rather the people using it. Personal choices and restraint should be exercised to cope with technology and reap the benefits. In chapter 6, Sweeny presents the reader with the future of smartphones, a device he calls the TeleBrain. This explains that the gadget would likely be powered by quantum computing and will allow users to manage life and interact with the world through techno-telepathy. While real life telepathy is part of the imagination, technology will emulate this concept to create artificial, machine telepathy, allowing people to collaborate and share ideas globally. Some forms of this kind of technology already exist, using voice recognition software that provides information about basic requests concerning weather, directions, and other queries. But the TeleBrain is forecasted to be immensely more powerful, with incredibly high storage, processing power, speed, and video quality, as well as offering many customizable features and services. Lazaridis is keenly aware of these prospects and has invested both time and money to support quantum physics research by establishing a non-profit think-tank called the Perimeter Institute for Technological Physics. Many bright minds are attracted to this institute, and of course, Lazaridis is very concerned with keeping technology moving as to be able to build the next generation of BlackBerrys. In the afterword, Sweeny discusses the possibility of RIM hitting a plateau. Faced by a cooling market, increasing competition and the risk of drowning in bureaucracy, he claims that the company must innovate to stay at the top of their game. Lazaridis is also aware of these risks and believes that the company’s present and future outlook is solid. In summary, Sweeny looks at Research In Motion from many angles, analyzing its past to paint a picture of where it might be going. He emphasizes the company’s core values of innovation and persistence as important agents in current success . While providing a generally pleasant reading experience, Sweeny’s book does contain flaws in certain aspects. From the beginning, it is not very clear where Sweeny is going with his book, since it lacks proper synthesis and jumps from formal to informal writing styles. This impression is further supported by an illogical composition and imbalanced chapter sizes. The reader is lured to believe that the book will focus on a general company biography with a chronological order. The back side of the cover dramatizes the story with a quote from president Obama and various facts that focus on the social and business aspects of the company. Sweeny sets a fairly relaxed and casual tone in the first chapter, but delves into miniscule details and overwhelming technical information in the subsequent chapter . Most readers expect a story with a beginning, middle and end, but Sweeny misguidedly beings the story with what appear to be various random facts that are difficult to understand without the proper context. Perhaps readers would appreciate the impressive information presented in the first chapter if they were to understand the background story first. While it makes sense to present RIM’s court battles in a separate chapter, it is hard to understand what else is going on during that time period. A better attempt at integration could have been made by Sweeny. Another factor which certainly follows from bad synthesis is the lack of a clear target audience. In trying to capture so many angles of the company, Sweeny tries to please investors, techies, and casual readers–a very challenging task. One might argue that in presenting a biography all aspects must be discussed, but to create a truly compelling piece of writing, certain information needs to be modified and edited to adhere to the reader’s taste. Perhaps certain people understood and even enjoyed Sweeny’s retelling of the company’s early technological ventures and later product innovation details, but the average reader likely found that information extremely confusing and dull. By commencing the book with a very light and technologically-free lexicon, Sweeny sets up readers to expect the same manner onwards. It is very disappointing to continue reading and discover an overwhelming number of inadequately explained terms and ideas. Such an example would be the Mobitex, which is introduced by a quote from Lazaridis: “That’s when I came across this wireless digital technology” (40). The author simply states that “[that] technology was Mobitex”, and later describes it as a “network technology” (41). That is as far as the explanation goes. For such an important and widely discussed term, Sweeny does a poor job explaining what it really means. Consequently, additional names and acronyms of technologies, such as Mobitalk, MTS, MPC, MobiLib, API (all found in one page), and various others, make it increasingly difficult to comprehend the subject at hand. It is also hard to understand the concept of the TeleBrain. It is hard to understand how and what form of this early technology exists today. It is hard to understand how quantum physics would power the TeleBrain, and the entire concept of social telepathy. The author makes it appear as if sharing thoughts in a wireless network is the same as thinking about the same thing at the same time. All this confusion adds to the frustration of the average reader. On the other hand, the technologically savvy reader might be impressed by these terms, but bored with the ongoing talk of addiction. Addiction to the “CrackBerry” is already discussed in the first chapter, but is further elaborated in the fifth. The author goes on about this topic excessively, demonstrated by clear overlaps and repetition between the chapters. Such a wide array of topics and information makes it difficult to relate to a specific group of readers. In this case, it could be said that less is more. Nonetheless, Sweeny’s superior manipulation of the language cannot be ignored. The author creates imaginative analogies and puns to add colour to the black and white words of technology. He succeeds in making every reader chuckle or nod at least a few times. Clear examples of his mastery include: Like its namesake fruit, the BlackBerry has a lot of delicious advantages for users. It's a sweet solution to the hunger for connection found in the modern world. Packed with technological antioxidants and flavenoids, it boosts the immune of the enterprise enabling workers to perform at their peak. And used in a focused way to do business in groups, it makes an excellent corporate spread (187). This is an exemplary way of how to take a piece of writing to the next level. This type of witty play on words draws the reader’s attention and adds character to the book. Another simple yet effective pun includes: “RIM's first reply to the Apple challenge was bold—the BlackBerry Bold” (143). Sweeny created a very quotable piece of writing. So quotable, in fact, that my colleagues have chosen to update their Facebook statuses with selected humourous pieces from the book. It is clear that readers identified with the book and found great interest in its content. On page 135, Sweeny describes Oprah’s giveaway of the BlackBerry device to her audience. A couple of pages later, he includes an analyst’s comment about how “[RIM] is primarily a handset maker, and it should be valued as such.” He then craftily adds a footnote asking “This of course begs the question, how can a simple handset cause Oprah's studio audience to scream with delight'” The use of this rhetorical question serves well to comically underline Sweeny’s main message: the prevalence and sheer influence of the device on so many people’s lives. Another set of rhetorical questions sets up a neat analogy between the BlackBerry as the cause of digital addiction and weapons as the cause of murders. While presenting both sides of the argument, Sweeny certainly alludes to the ideas that the choice is ours, and that, to quote a famous saying: “with great power comes great responsibility.” This also brings up the next strength of the book: a fair amount of objectivity. Sweeny makes it obvious that he believes that the BlackBerry is an all-powerful device and that RIM will lead us to ground-breaking discoveries in the world of technology. However, he does not shower the reader with overwhelming arguments for RIM and its little device. He does a good job at explaining both the good and the ugly, giving or taking away credit when needed. He analyzes RIM’s stubborn approach in its lengthy court case, he compares and contrasts the iPhone and the BlackBerry, he provides commentary from critics, and he asks the necessary questions to test RIM’s strength. Ultimately, it is up to the readers to make up their mind, but whatever they decide, they certainly walk away with extensive knowledge of the company’s past and where it could be headed. Sweeny clearly demonstrates that understanding the past, especially of organizations, helps predict future patterns of behaviour. By providing extensive information and analysis, the reader is able to draw conclusions and discover the incredible world of technology .