BlackBerry maker lose revenues

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BlackBerry maker lose revenues

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RIM reports a sharp drop in net income and revenue in the fiscal second quarter.

30 March,2012 11:40 am

Research In Motion Ltd., the Canadian company that makes the BlackBerry, announced plans Thursday to focus on its core business customers. It was the latest in a series of developments as the company struggles to compete with Apples iPhone and iPad and phones running Googles Android system.Sept. 15, 2011: RIM reports a sharp drop in net income and revenue in the fiscal second quarter and says it has sold far fewer PlayBook tablet computers than it expected.Oct. 10: Email and Internet services are disrupted for three days, primarily outside North America. RIM says a crucial link in its infrastructure had failed, and a backup didnt work either. By the third day, other users, including those in the U.S. and Canada, were affected by a backlog of traffic.Oct. 25: RIM says it is delaying the launch of an upgraded operating system for the PlayBook until February, saying it isnt up to its standards yet. The company also says the new version initially wont have the popular messaging service BlackBerry Messenger. Its the third delay announced since the features were promised in April.Dec. 1: RIM suspends two employees after their drunken rowdiness forced an Air Canada flight from Toronto to Beijing to be diverted to Vancouver. The two are later dismissed from the company.Dec. 2: RIM says it is writing off much of its inventory of PlayBook tablets after it had to sell them at a deep discount. The model originally priced at $500 now costs $200. The company says its taking a pre-tax charge of $485 million in the just-ended quarter. RIM also says it will sell fewer BlackBerrys in the holiday quarter than in the one that just ended.It also says it wont meet full-year earnings guidance of $5.25 to $6 per share, the third cut in a row.Dec. 5: Police in Indonesia say a senior RIM executive is a suspect in a stampede at a BlackBerry promotion there in November. Police say several people fainted and dozens were injured at the global debut of the BlackBerry Bold 9790.Dec. 6: RIM says BlackBerry 10 will be the new name for its next-generation system after the company loses a trademark ruling on its previous name, BBX.Dec. 15: RIM says new phones deemed critical to the companys future wont be out until late 2012. The company says the BlackBerry 10 phones will need a highly integrated chipset that wont be available until mid-2012, so the company can now expect the new phones to ship late in the year. The company also says BlackBerry sales will fall sharply in the holiday quarter compared with the three months that ended Nov. 26. RIM says it would only ship between 11 million and 12 million BlackBerrys in the fourth quarter, down from 14.1 million in the third quarter.Jan. 22, 2012: RIM founders Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis announce they will step down as co-CEOs. Thorsten Heins, a chief operating officer who joined RIM four years ago from Siemens AG, was named as their replacement.Feb. 21: RIM finally releases an upgraded operating system for its PlayBook. The free upgrade allows for built-in email, calendar and contacts on the tablet features promised within 60 days after the PlayBooks launch last April. The PlayBook had received negative reviews because it launched without an email program and the popular messaging service BlackBerry Messenger. The new version still doesnt include the messaging service.Thursday: RIM says it plans to return its focus to its corporate customers after failing to compete with flashier, consumer-oriented phones. RIM says it will focus its consumer efforts on targeted offerings that tap the companys strengths and will explore partnerships and other opportunities for consumer products that arent deemed central. RIM says Balsillie has resigned from its board, and two top executives are leaving.