Serial no.

1
2
3
4

Table of Content
Title

Page No.

Declaration
Certificate
Acknowledgement
Preface

i
ii
iii
iv

Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
Chapter 2

Introduction
History of Blackberry
Mission & Vision
Board of Directors
Brand Value of Blackberry
Business Strategies and Competitive advantage analysis

2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
Chapter 3

Products of Blackberry
Market Strategy in India.
Swot Analysis
Marketing Share of Blackberry
Research Methodology

3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
Chapter4
4.1
4.2
Chapter 5
5.1

Research design
Data Collection
Scope of the Study
Objectives of the Study
Findings
Findings and Suggestion
Limitation of the Study
Conclusions
Conclusion.
Bibliography

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CONTENTS

CHAPTER-1
1.1 INTRODUCTION OF BLACKBERRY
The BlackBerry is a line of wireless handheld devices and services designed and marketed by
Research In Motion Limited (RIM) operating as BlackBerry. The first BlackBerry device, an
email pager, was released in 1999; the most recent BlackBerry devices, the Z10 and Q10, were
announced on January 30, 2013. The user interface varies by model; most feature a physical
QWERTY keyboard, while newer generations have relied on a multi-touch screen and virtual
keyboard.
A BlackBerry can shoot video, take photos, play music, and perform online functions such as
web-browsing and emailing. They can also send and receive push email and instant messages
while maintaining a high level of security through on-device message encryption, and are
designed to function as personal digital assistants. BlackBerry devices support a large variety of
instant messaging features, with the most popular being the proprietary BlackBerry Messenger
service. The BlackBerry PlayBook is a tablet computer offered by the company. The 100
millionth BlackBerry smartphone was shipped in June quarter of 2010 and the 200 millionth
smartphone was shipped in September quarter of 2012.
BlackBerry accounts for 3% of mobile device sales worldwide in 2011, making its manufacturer
the sixth most popular device maker (25% of mobile device sales are smartphones). The
consumer BlackBerry Internet Service is available in 91 countries worldwide on over 500 mobile
service operators using various mobile technologies. As of September 2012, there were eighty
million subscribers worldwide to BlackBerry. In 2011 the Caribbean and Latin America had the
highest penetrations of BlackBerry smartphones worldwide, with up to about 45 per cent in the
region having a RIM device.
BlackBerry, iPhone, Android, and Windows Phone are considered the four major smartphone
brands. BlackBerry is widely referred to as "CrackBerry" in the United States, which alludes to
its excessive use by its owners and is a reference to the addictiveness of crack cocaine. Use of

the term CrackBerry became so widespread that in November 2006 Webster's New World
College Dictionary named "crackberry" the "New Word of the Year."
The BlackBerry is also known as a RIM device. The device is equipped with the RIM software
implementation of proprietary wireless-oriented protocols; furthermore, the device is supported
by the RIM BlackBerry Message Center. The BlackBerry (RIM) device shares similarities to the
PDA devices we discussed earlier; however, the BlackBerry (RIM) device is always-on, and
participating in some form of wireless push technology. As a result of this the BlackBerry (RIM)
does not require some form of desktop synchronization like the PDA does. This unique
component of the BlackBerry (RIM) device adds a different dimension to the process of forensic
examination, and in essence this portability can be the examiners greatest ally.
Operating System of the BlackBerry
The current version of the BlackBerry OS has numerous capabilities and features. These features
include; over the air activation, ability to synchronize contracts and appointments with Microsoft
Outlook, a password keeper program to store sensitive information and the ability to customize
your blackberry display data.
BlackBerry Operation and Security
The BlackBerry (RIM) device has an integrated wireless modem; this allows the device to
communicate over the BellSouth Intelligent Wireless Network. The BlackBerry (RIM) device
uses the BlackBerry Serial Protocol. This protocol is used to backup, restore and synchronize the
data that is communicated between the BlackBerry (RIM) handheld unit and the desktop
software. This protocol comprises simple packets and single byte return codes. The device uses a
strong encryption scheme that safeguards confidentiality, and authenticity of data. It keeps data
encrypted while in transit between the enterprise server and the device itself.
Wireless Security
The BlackBerry (RIM) has a couple of transport encryption options. These options are the Triple
Des (Data Encryption Standard) or AES (Advanced Encryption Standard. Those who want to
implement the most secure method will elect to encrypt with the AES algorithm. The Blackberry
has another feature that is referred to as the Password Keeper, this feature offers the capability of
3

securely storing password entries on the devices, these could consist of banking passwords,
PINs, etc. This critical and important information is protected by AES encryption.
Security for Stored Data
There are several capabilities available on the BlackBerry device when it comes to securing the
data that is stored there. The first option we will discuss is the capability to make password
authentication mandatory through the customizable IT policies on the BlackBerry Enterprise
Server. An additional method of protection from unauthorized parties is the Fact that there is no
staging of data between the server and BlackBerry device where data is decrypted.
Forensic Examination of a BlackBerry
Since the BlackBerry (RIM) is all always-on, push messaging device information can be pushed
to it at anytime. It is important to note that this information that is pushed does have the potential
or overwriting any data that possibly was previously deleted. The problem is compounded by the
fact that without warning there are a multitude of applications that may receive information, and
make the attempts by the forensic investigator to recover information and an unaltered file
system much more difficult. The first step in preserving the information is to eliminate the ability
of the device to receive this data push. If possible you could turn the radio off, or a better
solution is to take the device to an area where the signal cannot be received, this possibly can be
achieved by putting the device inside of" a filing cabinet drawer, but your mileage will vary here.
One might think, "I'll just turn it of." This would be a serious mistake! The BlackBerry (RIM)
device is not really "off" unless power is removed for an extended period, or the unit is placed in
storage mode; furthermore, once the unit is powered back on any items that were in the queue
waiting to be pushed to the device could possibly be pushed before you could stop them. As
mentioned previously, and we will reiterate it here, it is quite possible that a change to state such
as a power off of-the BlackBerry could result in a program being run on the unit that will allow
the device to accept remote commands via email.
Acquisition of Information Considerations
The considerations for the BlackBerry (RIM) device are similar in some ways to the PDA
devices, but there are some differences, so let's take a look at the considerations you have to
make when acquiring evidence from the Blackberry (RIM) device.
4

Device is in the "off" State

If the unit is off at the time of acquisition, the investigator needs to take the unit to a shielded
location before attempting to switch the unit on. If a shielded location is not readily available,
you might have success using a safe or other room that can block the signal well enough to
prevent the data push. One thing to consider is having a unit available that you can use to walk
the network and area to test the coverage, and look for weak coverage areas to use.
Device is in the "on" State
If the device you are examining is in the "on" state then as outlined and detailed above, you need
to take the device to a secure location and disable or turnoff the radio before beginning the
examination.
Password Protected
One thing that has to be considered when it comes to password protection is the fact that the
password itself is not stored on the device, the only thing that is stored on the device is a hashing
of the plain text password. This storage is similar to the storage used by the majority of operating
systems out there.
Evidence Collection
To collect evidence from the Blackberry we have to violate the traditional forensic methods by
requiring the investigator to record logs kept on the unit that will be wiped after an image is
taken. There are several different log files that we want to collect evidence from; Radio Status,
this log lets us enumerate the state of the devices radio functions; Roam and Radio, thus log has
a buffer of up to 16 entries usually, records information concerning the tower, channel etc, and
will not survive a reset; Transmit/Receive, records gateway information, and type and size of
data transmitted; Profile String, this contains the negotiation with the last utilized radio tower.
Once the log information is extracted and enumerated then the image will be taken. If you do not
require or need the log information then the image can be acquired immediately.
Unit Control Functions
The logs are reviewed by using the unit control functions; there are several functions we will
5

discuss. The first function is the Mobitex2 Radio Status, this provides information on the Radio
Status, Roam and Radio Transmit or Receive and Profile String. The second control function is
the Device Status; it provides information on memory allocation, port status, file system
allocation and CPU WatchPuppy. The third control function is the Battery Status, and as the
name implies it provides information on battery type, load, status and temperature. The last
control function we will discuss is the Free Mem, this provides information on memory
allocation, Common Port File System, WatchPuppy, OTA status, Halt and Reset.
Imaging and Profiling
When you are conducting a forensic examination of a BlackBerry (RIM) device we need to
conduct imaging and profiling. This is accomplished by extracting the logs from a developed
image; acquiring an image of a bit-by-bit backup using the BlackBerry (RIM) software
development kit (SDK). The SDK is available from www.blackberry.com and is essential for the
forensic examiner when investigating a BlackBerry (RIM) device. The SDK utility dumps the
contents of the Flash RAM into a file. Once the Flash RAM is dumped it can be examined and
reviewed using traditional methods with your favorite hex editor or other tool. In addition to
reviewing the evidence with traditional methods, you can use the Simulator from the SDK to
match the network and model of the investigated unit.
Attacking The BlackBerry
We have several tools and methods available that allow us to attack the BlackBerry,
The first tool is the BlackBerry Attack Toolkit, and this toolkit along with the BBProxy software
can be used to exploit website vulnerabilities. The second tool is the Attack Vector, this tool links
and tricks users by downloading malicious software to the Blackberry. The last method we will
discuss is the method of hijacks, or as it is sometimes referred to blackjacks. As the name implies
this allows someone to hijack a legal user's BlackBerry (RIM) and replace them on the network
with potentially harmful devices.
Securing the BlackBerry (RIM)
We have several things we can do to secure the information on the BlackBerry
(RIM) device. The first thing we can do is clean the BlackBerry (RIM) device memory, and we
can protect stored messages on the messaging server. You can encrypt the application password
6

as well as the storage of if it on the BlackBerry (RIM) device; furthermore, you can protect
storage of user data on a locked BlackBerry device by limiting the password authentication
attempts. It is possible to set a maximum of 10 attempts to gain access to the device.
Additionally, you can use AES technology to secure the storage of the password keeper and
password entries on the BlackBerry device.
Information Hiding in the BlackBerry (RIM)
When it comes to hiding information in the BlackBerry (RIM) device we have several places we
can hide information. You can create hidden databases; you can hide information in partition
gaps. Data can be hidden in the gap between the Operating System/Application and file
partitions.
BlackBerry (RIM) Signing Authority Tool
This tool helps the developers protect their data and intellectual property. It enables the
developers to handle access to their sensitive Application Program Interfaces (APIs). The tool
provides this protection by using public and private signature keys. It does this by using
asymmetric cryptography to validate the authenticity of the request; furthermore, the signing tool
allows developers to exchange API information in a secure manner and environment.

1.2 HISTORY OF BLACKBERRY

Given how common smart phones are now these days it is shocking just how recently they were
introduced. The first BlackBerry smart phone was developed in 2003 although the company did
produce other devices before that. In a remarkably short time they have managed to completely
change the way that people communicate. There has also been a huge increase in the number of
features that a smart phone can offer.
The first BlackBerry appeared on the market way back in 1999 although that one was nothing at
all like the current models. The original was a two way pager, pagers of course are almost never
used anymore which is a pretty good demonstration of just how fast the technology has come.
When it first came out a two way pager was a pretty novel product since most of them up until
then had only allowed for one way communication. The original BlackBerry had a keypad that
allowed the person who was receiving the page to respond to the sender.
In 2003 BlackBerry introduced the first of what we would think of as being the modern smart
phone. This was a device that not only functioned as a telephone but also allowed for the sending
and receiving of email and text messages as well as web browsing. One of the main focuses of
the early BlackBerry's was to allow for mobile email. It was clear that this was a technology that
was necessary since email had become so popular. Clearly people who were on the go needed a
way to access their email without having to find a computer.
The early BlackBerry had a monochrome screen but all of the ones that have come out since then
have had color screens. One of the other features that appeared on the first models which has
been retained over the years is the QWERTY keyboard. This is a necessity if people are going to
use their BlackBerry to send email or text messages. There have been a couple of models that
don't retain the QWERTY keyboard but the vast majority of them do as customers have made it
clear that they prefer it this way.
Since the introduction of the BlackBerry a lot of competitors have appeared on the market and
this has really hurt sales since they are now competing with some of the biggest companies in the
telecommunications industry. This competition combined with improving technology has
resulted in a huge increase in the number of functions that you will find on your BlackBerry.
8

1.3 MISSION AND VISSION

RIM aims to be the premier center for management development excelling in developing
managers of tomorrow; strengthening management capabilities and facilitating policy options to
meet emerging challenges..
RIM's ability to enhance current products and develop and introduce new products
the efficient and uninterrupted operation of RIM's network operations center and the networks
of its carrier partners;
RIM's ability to establish new, and to build on existing, relationships with its network carrier
partners;
RIM's dependence on its carrier partners to grow its BlackBerry subscriber base;
RIM's reliance on its suppliers for functional components and the risk that suppliers will not be
able to supply components on a timely basis;
competition;
effective management of growth and ongoing development of RIM's service and support
operations;
a breach of RIM's security measures, or an inappropriate disclosure of confidential corporate or
personal information;
reduced spending by customers due to the uncertainty of economic and geopolitical conditions;
risks associated with RIM's expanding foreign operations;
RIM's dependence on a limited number of significant customers;

1.4 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Barbara Stymiest
Ms. Stymiest, 56, has served as a director of the Company since March 2007 and has been the
Chair of Board of the Company since January 2012. She has an HBA from the Richard Ivey
School of Business, University of Western Ontario and a FCA from the Institute of Chartered
Accountants of Ontario. Ms. Stymiest is currently a corporate director. From 2004 to 2011, Ms.
Stymiest was a member of the Group Executive of the Royal Bank of Canada which is
responsible for the Banks overall strategic direction. Prior to that, she held positions as Chief
Executive Officer at TSX Group Inc., Executive Vice-President & Chief Financial Officer at
BMO Nesbitt Burns and Partner of Ernst & Young LLP. Ms. Stymiest is currently a Director of
George Weston Limited, Sun Life Financial Inc., University Health Network and the Canadian
Institute for Advanced Research. She has also served on a number of professional and charitable
organizations including the Canadian Institute for Chartered Accountants Accounting Oversight
Committee, United Way Campaign Cabinet and Hincks-Dellcrest Childrens Centre.
Mike Lazaridis
Mr. Lazaridis, 50, has served as a director of the Company since 1984 and is Vice Chair of the
Board of Directors of the Company. Mr. Lazaridis founded the Company while a student at UW
and is known in the global wireless community as a visionary, innovator, and engineer of
extraordinary talent. He was Co-CEO of the Company until January 2012, where he was
responsible for product strategy, research and development, product development, and
manufacturing. He holds an honorary Doctor of Engineering degree from the University of
Waterloo. In May 2009, Mr. Lazaridis was inducted into the Order of the Business Hall of Fame
in recognition of his business excellence, outstanding business achievements and enduring
contributions to Canadian society. In recognition of his leadership and innovation, he was named
by The Globe and Mail as Canada's Nation Builder of the Year for 2002. He is also an Officer of
the Order of Canada. Mr. Lazaridis has more than 50 patents issued and has received dozens of
industry and community awards for his innovations in wireless radio technology/software. He
has founded two research institutions of international significance: the Perimeter Institute for
10

Theoretical Physics, an independent theoretical physics research institute and the Institute for
Quantum Computing, a research center focused on fundamental aspects of quantum mechanics
and their applications to information processing which was established within the University of
Waterloo.
Timothy Dattels
Mr. Dattels, 53, has served as a director of the Company since July 2012. He has an M.B.A. from
Harvard Business School and a B.A. (Honors) from the University of Western Ontario. Mr.
Dattels is a Senior Partner of TPG Capital, LP. Prior to joining TPG, Mr. Dattels served as a
Partner and Managing Director of Goldman Sachs and was head of Investment Banking for all
Asian countries other than Japan. In addition to the public Board memberships listed below, Mr.
Dattels is a Trustee of the San Francisco Ballet, San Francisco Jazz and the World Affairs
Council.
Thorsten Heins
Mr. Heins, 54, was appointed as a director of the Company in January 2012. He is President and
Chief Executive Officer of the Company and is a respected business leader with 27 years of
broad experience and expertise in wireless networks and consumer electronics devices. Prior to
being named CEO in January 2012, Mr. Heins was one of BlackBerry's two Chief Operating
Officers and, previously, Senior Vice President for the Handheld Business Unit. Mr. Heins came
to BlackBerry in December 2007 from the industrial conglomerate Siemens AG, where he served
as Chief Executive Officer of various business divisions in the communication business, Chief
Technology Officer and member of the Group Board of the Siemens Communications Group.
Mr. Heins holds a master's degree in Science and Physics from the University of Hannover in his
native Germany. He also serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Canadian German
Chamber of Industry and Commerce Inc.

11

1.5 BRAND VALUE OF BLACKBERRY

BlackBerry has lost a staggering 39 per cent of its brand value, according to Interbrands
calculations, and it has fallen to No. 93 on the global list of the 100 most valuable brands, from
No. 56.
Its smartphone rivals have been on the opposite trajectory: Apples brand value has jumped 129
per cent, the report says, and Samsung is up 40 per cent.
The firm released a Canadian brands ranking in June, but because RIMs flagship brand is also
on the global list, and Interbrand re-evaluates rankings once a year, it held off evaluating
BlackBerry until now. Delays are killing them. And Im not even sure its going to matter,
Interbrands managing director Alfred DuPuy, said of the tardy launch of the BlackBerry 10
phones, now set for early next year. Its not as though Apple or Samsung, or even HTC or
Huawei ... theyre not exactly sitting back. The brand is currently in an identity crisis, he said.
While Interbrands is just one calculation, there is little dispute RIM has a marketing problem.
While BlackBerrys strength used to be predicated on the QWERTY keyboard, its Messenger
program and its reputation for security, they are no longer enough to keep it afloat. Although its
second-quarter results were better than expected, RIM posted a $235-million (U.S.) loss. And its
marketing team has so far failed to clarify what its brand identity will be, as business-minded
users shift to other devices and rival smartphones court the consumer market with aggressive
campaigns and new devices that refresh themselves in the time it takes RIM to co-ordinate a
single product launch.

12

CHAPTER-2
2.1 PRODUCTS
1. BLACKBERRY STYLE SERIES

The BlackBerry Style is the latest offering from the company and it has some pretty big changes
from other models. However the changes are not so big as to make regular customers
uncomfortable. They have found that nice balance between adding features to attract new
customers without losing the old ones.
The Style is one of the few phones that BlackBerry offers that comes with a flip phone design.
This is clearly because the market demands it since flip phones are selling better than other
types. Users like them because it helps to prevent accidental dials. Clearly this is an attempt by
BlackBerry to go after a different segment of the market than they usually get. Fortunately the
13

appearance still retains enough of what regular users of the BlackBerry expect to see to keep
them happy. The actual look of the phone is not the most attractive in the world, it is a little bit
square and not as sleek as other phones on the market. The Style does have rounded corners and
curved edges which do help to make it look more attractive. It is also a fairly heavy phone
compared to its competitors.
One of the reasons that the Style is wider than most other flip phones is the full QWERTY
keyboard. This is something that BlackBerry users have come to expect so it had to be retained.
The good news about having that extra width for the keyboard also means that the Style can have
a fairly large screen. On the downside the screen has a lot of glare which makes it hard to read in
bright light conditions.
When it comes to features on the BlackBerry Style it has pretty much what you would expect to
find. An excellent email system is a given, this BlackBerry's bread and butter of course. Unlike
most other models however this one is aimed more at the consumer than at the business
professional so it has more features that are aimed at social networking than you would expect to
find. All of the other standard features are there as well multimedia player, camera, Blue tooth
and everything else.
Web browsing on the Style is much better than it was on older versions of the BlackBerry thanks
to the new operating system. The addition of tabbed browsing makes it much easier to navigate
and we would have to say that this is one of the easier smart phones that we have come across to
navigate the web with. There are a lot of advanced features that the experienced user will find to
be very useful but which the new user, who are clearly the target market here are probably not
going to have a lot of use for. Nevertheless we really like the BlackBerry Style and give it a very
high recommendation.

14

2. CURVE SERIES: LOOKS, FUNCTIONS, ...

Over the last few years smart phones have been getting more and more complicated, this not
only raises the price but it also scares off new users. Therefore BlackBerry has introduced the
Curve which is a phone that is clearly designed for the first time smart phone user. It is both
affordable and easy to use. Although it doesn't have all of the advanced features that you would
expect to find on a modern smart phone it is a great option for the new user.
The BlackBerry Curve has a design that is more compact than most of the other phones that the
company makes. This appeals to a lot of people who find that most of the company's phones are
little on the bulky side. On the downside the Curve does have a bit of a cheap look to it. Of
course this is largely because it is an entry level smart phone that is aimed at the lower end of the
market. Nevertheless a little bit more effort when it came to styling would really have paid off
with a much more attractive phone.

The Curve has most of the features that you would expect to have on a smart phone but since it is
aimed mainly at the first time user some of the more advanced features that you would find on
the company's other products are not there. Nevertheless the things that you would expect are
like email, web browsing and text messaging. There is also a camera and a multimedia player as
well as things like GPS and maps. Most users will be happy with the features that they find on
the Curve.
15

One of the best things about the Curve that we found was that it is a very easy smart phone to
use. This is largely because of the absence of some of the advanced features. This is a phone that
is intended for the new user and it is designed to be easy to use. Most smart phone makers just
keep adding new features, most of which nobody will ever use which really only succeed in
making the phone harder to use. This scares off a lot of new users which is why we are quite
happy to see the Curve being designed with beginner in mind.
There are some issues with the Curve however, none of which were completely unexpected
given that it is at the low end of the market. As mentioned earlier this phone avoids using some
of the more advanced features which is great for new users but not necessarily for the more
experienced ones. A bigger concern is the low resolution screen, again at the low end of the
market this is not a surprise but it is something to be aware of. The biggest concern however is
the call quality which does have some issues. Calls do have a bit of a tendency to be muffled.

3. BLACKBERRY TORCH SERIES: LOOKS, FUNCTIONS, ...

In recent years BlackBerry have been losing market share as other smart phone makers have
started to appear. Although the introduced the first smart phone most of their competitors now
build better products. The Torch is BlackBerry's attempt to change this and in large part they
have succeeded.

16

The BlackBerry Torch represents a new design in smart phones for the company, it is their first
slide phone. This is apparently the way that they intend to go in the future so expect to see more
phones with similar designs. The Torch is a fairly large phone compared to its competitors and it
is clearly designed to look appropriate for the business professional and not to have the sleek
look that most consumers want. A big part of the reason for that was the decision to include a full
QWERTY keyboard which users expect on a BlackBerry, this requires the phone to be fairly
wide.
The decision to include the full QWERTY keyboard was a good one since almost all
BlackBerry's have one users expect it. What they don't expect however is a touch screen as well
which is something that appears for the first time on a BlackBerry product with the Torch. This
really does give the user the best of both worlds and is one of the features of the Torch that we
really like. The touch screen works very well and is easy to use and offers both portrait and
landscape options.

17

The BlackBerry Torch is the first product to use the company's new operating system. It is quite
an improvement over the old one being easier to navigate. It also has a better user interface and
the multimedia features are much better than you would find on previous BlackBerry's. All of the
other features that you would expect to find are of course there like email, test messaging, and
GPS. There are quite a few advanced features on this phone but one thing that we did find was
that the number of apps that you can use is somewhat limited compared to other smart phones.
There are unfortunately some downsides of the Torch the biggest being is that it is not the fastest
phone in the world. It can be slow to launch and web pages do not load as quickly as they do on
other phones. The low resolution screen is also a disappointment, on a phone at this price level
we would expect it to have a high resolution. We also don't like the fact that the apps can only be
saved to the main memory, this makes them a bit inconvenient to use if you have a lot of them
since you have to go through them all to find the one that you are looking for. Nevertheless we
quite like the Torch and think that it can stand beside any of its competitors.

4. BLACKBERRY BOLD SERIES: LOOKS, FUNCTIONS, ...

It is no secret that BlackBerry have been struggling in recent years as its competitors have
surpassed them in terms of the quality of the smartphones that they have built. However Black
Berry have gone back to the drawing board and brought out a much improved phone of their own
in the Bold. They now have a product that can compete with anybody in terms of quality.

18

In a world where smartphones are normally designed to have a sleek look the Bold really stands
out since sleek is that last word that would come to mind to describe it. It is a big phone, so big
in fact that you will likely have a hard time fitting it into your pocket. In large part that is because
of the need to have a large QWERTY keyboard, it wouldn't be a BlackBerry without one. While
the Bold is not the most attractive phone that we have ever seen it does have a sophisticated look.
The back has a feel of leather rather than plastic which takes away the cheap look that you find
on most phones.
One of the advantages of having such a big phone is that you can put a large screen on it. This is
an area where the Bold really shines. It has probably the best screen on any smart phone that we
have come across. It is high resolution with colors that are crisp. When you watch video on this
phone right next to one of its competitors you will really notice the difference in picture quality.
The Bold comes with BlackBerry's new operating system which is a big improvement over the
old one. It is much easier to navigate with and the interface is also much better. The multimedia
features are excellent. All of the tools that you would expect to find are there, email, GPS, Blue
19

Tooth and the like. There are actually a huge number of features on this phone which can be
intimidating to new users. Given that most of these features will never be used by anybody we
are not necessarily sure that including them was a good idea. This is phone that is clearly aimed
at business professionals and most of the features focus on productivity.
Clearly we like the BlackBerry Bold a lot. The display and the multimedia features are excellent
and the phones performance is outstanding. Other than some issues with the size of the phone we
really can't come up with anything to criticize. This is definitely a phone that can hold its own in
the competition for best smart phone. One downside is that quality comes at a price and the Bold
is a pretty expensive option. Since it is aimed at business professionals this is probably not a
huge deal but it is something to be aware of.

20

2.2 MARKETING STRATEGIES

MARKETING STRATEGIES
Market research is a method of collecting data which will make you (as a business) more aware
of how the people, you hope to sell to, will react to your products or services. Market research
will answer questions like:

Whether your products or services are needed

Who might want to buy your products

What age, sex, income occupation etc. are the people I want to sell to.

If there are changes taking place and how this might affect what you sell

How well your products or services might sell

How much demand there is for what you hope to sell

What price would people be prepared to pay

Conducting market research

There are number of ways in which you can carry out your research but you need to carefully
consider why you made this choice and what you hope the evidence will suggest to you.
Questionnaires and personal interviews are one of the most common ways in which you can
conduct market research, and there are many methods of gathering data this way: Direct
Interview, Mail Survey and Telephone interview. Depending on the type of data you hope to
collect will have a impact on what you choose to use. I have made use of two type of survey

21

methods, questionnaire and mail survey. I have asked some question about the company my mail
and also by direct contacts. The Question I have asked are given in questionnaire part below.
Theory: marketing mix
The Marketing Mix

(The 4 P's of Marketing)

Marketing decisions generally fall into the following four controllable categories:

Product

Price

Place (distribution)

Promotion

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The term "marketing mix" became popularized after Neil H. Borden published his 1964 article,
The Concept of the Marketing Mix. Borden began using the term in his teaching in the late
1940's after James Culliton had described the marketing manager as a "mixer of ingredients".
The ingredients in Borden's marketing mix included product planning, pricing, branding,
distribution channels, personal selling, advertising, promotions, packaging, display, servicing,
physical handling, and fact finding and analysis. E. Jerome McCarthy later grouped these
ingredients into the four categories that today are known as the 4 P's of marketing, depicted
below:

CONCEPT AND TARGET MARKET

Once anyone sees this symbol they know exactly what company is and what their product is,
there is now doubt about it. This company has based its reputation on this picture and what it
represents. This picture is a silent language known all over the world and all its customers and
prospective customer know it all too well.
Blackberry's most recent products are "funky" and "cooler" looking than other thing out there in
the market. They did this specifically to target the younger generation of phone users to attract
them to the product and it worked! Unlike their competitor Iphone which looks remind the same
since it came out, BlackBerry has gone from big "clunky" design to "sexy", "sleek" slide up
screen and touch sensitive phones which cornered the market just in the nick of time. If they had
started out where they are now customers would have gotten bored with look and not by the
product but since they gradually change their designs over a steady period of time, it it more
appealing to customers which is exactly what they want.
Even though this thing is a money making thing, BlackBerry has found a way to do that and
meet customers needs with the evolving world around them. With the generation of customers
that the world is having today and in the future they will know how to go along with it to keep
customers interested in the product.

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MARKETING OBJECTIVE
v Trying to outdo their competitors to get prospective customers to see BlackBerry as more than
a business device and having them thinking of it to be the same as their competitors if not better
than them.
v Trying to turn the believes of customers to help them see that the applications on the
BlackBerry are just as effective as those on their competitors; meaning not because a device has
a million apps doesnt necessarily means that the operating system is any better.
v Trying to expand their market from just being known as a smart phone device and go into
other areas of the electronic department.
v Trying to get all mobile carriers to get the devices to do talk and browsing at the same time
because people in general think that the Iphone is the only ones that can do that where in fact
they arent. For right now only Verizon allows customers to do so but they need to get it for all
the other carriers.
v Trying to make a bigger splash in the U.S. market. Because this is a company that is based
in Canada and yes it is known here in the U.S. it is not as popular as they want/expected it to be.
So by redoing the marketing ads etc they are hoping to draw in more customers to the existing
product.

4. RETAILING ACTIVITIES
Creating the ultimate consumer experience on the selling floor is the difference between having a
top-selling brand on the market and merely becoming an also-ran. BlackBerry has used
companies such as MarketStar to provide retail sale strategies which are designed to make their
product the most prominent and high recommended brand of choice among consumers.
Research In Motion (RIM), a manufacturer of innovative wireless solutions, wanted to improve
the in-store presence of its flagship product, the BlackBerry. RIM relied on MarketStars retail
expertise to analyze the market and create and execute a strategy to train and motivate retail sales
associates while increasing customer loyalty at the point of sale.
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MarketStar is a company that is based on building brand loyalty and training sales associates on
the product so they can get those products off the shelf and to the registers. Through a thing
called brand advocacy, they recommend high rates of knowledge transfer of the product by
connecting store associates and consumers with the brand. This I believe is a brilliant way to get
the product known which is exactly what BlackBerry wants and does. They have used this
company to get the word out about their product to get a sense of what consumers really want
from their device and they give retail sales associates those skills to help them make the sales.
BlackBerry has found the most innovative way to get retail sales associates involved in helping
to push sales which is obviously doing competitions between stores to see who could win gifts or
tickets to the movies or even individual competitions to see who would make the most sales and
win a BlackBerry either themselves or for the store. What better way is there to make people
work harder if you dont give them something to work towards? By doing these competitions
among stores they have helped to increase their sales and create brand awareness over the
country. So not only they doing that but also the commercials they have that promote their
devices has been a huge help in driving sales and also for what carriers these devices are
available for. Even the carriers get involved in marketing the devices so they can help the sales in
the retail locations and also make a name for themselves based on which device they carry which
MarketStar again, has been a huge help in getting the word out to the retail locations no matter
how small or big they are everyone of them are doing good business.
Currently, MarketStar conducts thousands of in-store trainings per year, manages store
inventories and generates competitive business intelligence to help RIM dominate the
marketplace.

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5. BLACKBERRY MARKETING MAGAZINE AD

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6. BLACKBERRY SALES PROMOTION

7.INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

BlackBerry as a company do not use many words in their marketing communications, mainly
because they base their communications on our visual and listening senses. Even though there
may be few worded ads, there are some that are on their social networks and blogs as seen below.
Here are four (4) different mediums and messages in which BlackBerry will convey their
message to customers whether it be present or prospective ones.
1. Blogs Ads

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It's very frustrating for BlackBerry users in countries that don't have access to BlackBerry App
World to try to download apps. Though it's not available in all countries yet, RIM has expanded
the accessibility of App World to 9 additional countries in Africa: Cameroon, Ivory Coast,
Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, and
Lesotho. Customers in these countries can now download App World for their BlackBerry and
enjoy all that it has to offer.
BlackBerry meets the customer just only at the beginning by identifying with customers
frustration of not being about to use the App World in certain countries.
BlackBerry contacts the customer at the beginning through to the end by explaining what
BlackBerry Music is and how it works. This is the base of every information system when trying
to reach to a customer.

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3. SOCIAL NETWORKS
You know that thing where you get something awesome for less? Get the BlackBerry Curve 3G
with a voice plan from Verizon and see how you can stay connected for just $10/month.
BlackBerry meets the customers' right at the beginning because of the question. Asking things
like will give the customer a sense of social interaction even if you're not face to face.
4. ADVERTISEMENT
BlackBerry meets the customer from the beginning of the commercial through to end of it.
Making sure to show customers that you can do so many things with your BlackBerry, to the
point where you don't have to be at work to get work stuff done.
BLACKBERRY PROJECTION FOR 2012
BlackBerrys projection for 2012 will be the launch of BlackBerry Mobile Fusion. The landscape
of the BlackBerry Enterprise portfolio is evolving to provide more function, more control and
more possibilities to meet the needs of your business. Planning your infrastructure is a critical
part in ensuring the long-term success of your mobile deployment. With the increasing number
of employees going mobile, todays organizations are tasked with supporting, managing and
securing a wide array of mobile devices. BlackBerry Mobile Fusion, from a single web-based
unified interface, administrators can provision, audit and protect BlackBerry smartphones,
BlackBerry PlayBook tablets, and other devices that use the Apple iOS and Google Android
operating systems. BlackBerry Mobile Fusion will be the next generation Enterprise Mobility
Solution for BlackBerry, Android and iOS smartphones and Tablets.
BlackBerry Mobile Fusion will provide the following mobile device management capabilities for
all supported mobile devices:

Asset management

Configuration management

Security and policy definition and management

Secure and protect lost or stolen devices (remote lock, wipe)

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User- and group-based administration

Multiple devices per user capable

Application and software management

Connectivity management (Wi-Fi, VPN, certificate)

Centralized console

High scalability

BlackBerry Mobile Fusion is currently in early beta testing with select enterprise customers.
RIM is now accepting customer nominations for the closed beta program which will start in
January, and general availability is expected in late March.
LONG-TERM SUCCESS PLAN
For BlackBerry to have long-term success for the next couple of years they need to step their
game up even more. With their main competition being Apple, they need to find some way to
throw the market a curve ball to let them say wow thats a BlackBerry? BlackBerry needs to
also extend their product line from just being product modifications, just like their competition.
They need to step outside the box and find a way to have people in the U.S. go crazy for a
BlackBerry the way they do in other countries like Indonesia. If they find this loophole, they will
have continued success in the U.S.

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2.3 S.W.O.T. ANALYSIS OF BLACKBERRY

STRENGTHS
BlackBerrys unique branding- When u hear the words pin and broadcast message there is
no doubt in anyones that they are talking about a BlackBerry. Since Blackberry started out, they
have made it their mission to be known for their name and they have done a wonderful job at
that.
BlackBerrys strategy- By having over 30 million customers and being in over 200 countries it
has given them an advantage over the rest because not many other companies can say that. Even
know they are still working on being in my countries to expand their market and in the few years
they will be available in every country.
Blackberrys device design- Over the years, Blackberry has developed its designs based on the
time periods and moving with the developing technology. By moving with the time, it allows
them to create more devices based on their customers needs because of the way technology
moves so fast and they want all the latest developments and improvement in the market.
Blackberrys carrier diversity- Over the years BlackBerry has 600 couriers worldwide and in the
U.S. , Blackberry is one of the only companies that have devices for all the mobile carriers:
At&t, Verizon, Sprint, T-mobile and even Metro PCS and Boost Mobile which gives them an
edge over their competitors. They have made it easy for their customers to afford to get a
BlackBerry on many budget.
Blackberrys unique software capabilities- Blackberry have made it easy and effective for
customers to have access to their software to make those customers lives so much easier. Even
with the software update is not a hassle to do because the device itself signals the user that there
is an update and all they have to do is just touch a button, upgrade then the device takes it from
there.

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WEAKNESS
BlackBerrys main issue- The biggest weakness BlackBerry has is trying to get prospective
customers to think of BlackBerry devices as more than just a business device.
Limited product- Only carries smart phone devices, (well now they just started to go in the tablet
market).
OPPORTUNITY
Growing in international market- Over the years BlackBerry has gone into the international
market expanding their products to China, India, Spain and so many more. By doing this they
hope to help their profit margin grow more and more as they try to go into other countries.
Appealing to new market- By them going into the tablet market they hope to be a force to reckon
with because they are allowing customers to connect their phones to the tablet and use the
internet off their phones to get the internet instead of having to deal with WIFI and 3G hotspots.
Expanding products- Every year a company has to have a new product out which lucky for
BlackBerry they actually come out with at least 2/3 a year so they are always on top of their
game when it comes on to giving something new to customers and the market.
THREATS
Tough Competition- Everybody knows BlackBerrys biggest competition is of course Apple
Iphones and the Andriod devices.

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2.4 MARKET SHARE OF BLACKBERRY

Market cap

* For banks, enterprise value is substituted with market cap. Source: Bloomberg Finance L.P.
BlackBerry has planned to make its ground-breaking mobile social network, BlackBerry
Messenger available to iOS and Android users this summer, with support planned for iOS6, and
Android 4.0 or higher, all subject to approval by the Apple App Store and Google Play.
TOI 15 May 2013,13:13 IST
BlackBerry global creative director Alicia Keys has launched the new BlackBerry Scholars
Program to inspire more women to enter and develop careers in the fields of Science,
Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). The programme was unveiled at BlackBerry Live in
Orlando, Florida.

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CHAPTER-3
3.1 RESEARCH AND MEYHODOLOGY

STAGE ONE
The project study started with collection of Primary and Secondary Data. The sources for the
secondary data are as follows:
Data Sources

Magazines

Internet

Press articles.
Sampling Technique Used:
Since the information required was not of a very technical nature and also looking at the
scope of the project and the extent of the target segment, the sampling technique
employed was Convenience Sampling. I administered the questionnaires.

3.2 OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT

1.
2.
3.
4.

To study customer attitude towards Blackberry mobiles.

To know influencing factor to buy blackberry mobiles.
To know the satisfaction level of Blackberry mobiles.
To know about the marketing share of Blackberry.

3.3 SCOPE OF THE STUDY:

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The study focuses on the type of strategy adopted by the firm to keep up its brand in the

market.
The study also spots light on certain aspect like that of effect of sales & promotional

techniques used by the company.

It also focuses on how a firm is expanding itself in global market especially in developing

countries like India.

The scope of study reflects mainly upon the business strategy formed by the firm and
how it helps it in gaining competitive advantage over it rivals.

CHAPTER-4
35

4.1 LIMITATIONS

The secondary data has been used in this project report therefore the findings may not be
totally reliable.

Time constraint is also one of the limitations.

There are sites which provide incomplete information which are not totally reliable for
the study.

The study is limited to the study of the strategies adopted by the company for operating
the business.

4.2 SUGGESTION AND RECOMMENDATION

Products should be enriched with offers in order to capture the market.

Location has to be improved, so that the working atmosphere, sales can be enhanced.

More number of branches has to be opened to improve sales.

Should maintain the documents properly so as to avoid confusion.

Sufficient persons have to be recruited for doing the jobs.

All the work should not be dumped to a single employee.

Attracting offers should be given to attract more profits.

Price of the products provided may be lowered in order to restore their position among
competitors.

CHAPTER-5
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5.1 CONCLUSION
The more we think about it, we cant help but draw comparisons ofBlackBerry 10 to webOS ,
since there are similarities. Visually, BB10 is an enticing platform that greatly makes use of the
touch experience, which is evident by the amount of gestures in play with it. Considering this is a
version 1.0 platform, BlackBerry manages to deliver something thats inviting and modern
enough to tangle with the competition.
However, knowing that they had over a year to develop this platform, it wouldve been nice to
see a more comprehensivefeatures set so it can at least be a valid argument for a smooth
transition to those used using other mobile platforms. Needless to say, if youre comfortable
using the full arsenal of apps and functionality with your existing platform or choice, say
Android or iOS, its going to be rather difficult making the switch. On the flip side, if youre
willing to take the gamble, with the hope of BlackBerry expediting the furtherdevelopment of its
platform,

were

certain

itll

ultimately

prove

to

be

justified

response.

Once highly regarded as the platform of choice by business and enterprise users, as weve seen
in the shift over the course of the last several years, BlackBerry has relinquished its hold to some
of its main rivals. Still, theyve tweaked the experience in BB10 to strongly make it a focal point
such as the case with BBMs new video chatting and sharing services. Going back to where we
started, this all reminds us and brings back memories about webOS. Right now, BlackBerry is in
a tight spot, but the new platform seems equipped enough at the moment to build buzz amongst
its existing user base. Simply, its a valiant effort on their part, but the future hinges on how
proactive theyll be in continuing development to make BB10 a complete OS from top to bottom.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
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Web Sites

http://www.google.co.in/#gs_rn=14&gs_ri=psy-

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/BlackBerry

http://us.blackberry.com/smartphones.html?
LID=us:bb:devices:smartphones&LPOS=us:bb:devices#

http://www.bbscnw.com/blackberry-bold-series-looksfunctions.php

Magazines

Business India

India Today

Business Today

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