BlackBerry Faces Challenges Beyond The NTP Lawsuit

摘要

Jim balsillie is betting that the $612.5 million Research In Motion pays NTP to settle a long and bitter patent-infringement lawsuit will have some 5 million customers feeling better about the BlackBerry's future. "We spent the money to ensure certainty," says RIM's chairman and co-CEO. "I would think that went a long way to restore customer trust." It was a big relief for subscribers. But all the money in the world can't buy RIM certainty, including whether it can keep its lead in PDA sales. Shaking NTP off its back is just half the battle. The $2 billion-a-year Canadian company is in the crosshairs of the much bigger guns of Microsoft and Nokia, while established competitor Palm is proving a quick study on the changing needs of mobile-device users.