How RIM Splitting Would Affect The Mobile Industry - Business Insider

This is a news note from Business Insider Intelligence, a new research and analysis service focused on the mobile industry. Subscribers get full access to our chart library, plus the underlying data for many charts. Sign up for a free trial here.

Over the weekend, an anonymously sourced story in The Sunday Times suggested that Research In Motion is considering selling its handset business, possibly to Facebook or Amazon, and licensing its enterprise messaging technology.

It might also consider accepting an equity investment from Microsoft or another large technology company.

The report comes after RIM's announcement on May 29 that it had hired bankers JP Morgan and RBC to evaluate alternatives,? "including opportunities to leverage the BlackBerry platform through partnerships, licensing opportunities and strategic business model alternatives."

RIM's handset business fell off a cliff last quarter, as it sold less than 10 million phones -- its lowest number since the third quarter of 2009. (See chart 1.)

More important, its drop in market share, from 21% in Q3 2009 to only 7% in the most recent quarter, (chart 2) will make a recovery difficult, as developers turn their attention to growing platforms like iOS and Android. A planned technology break, the long-awaited BlackBerry 10 operating system, makes developers even more hesitant to build for the current platform. Developers strongly favor iOS and Android, and are even turning to Microsoft's Windows Phone over BlackBerry for new projects, despite that platform's lack of market share traction. (Chart 3.)

So there's no question that RIM needs help, fast.

What would a RIM split-up look like, and how would it affect the mobile market?

Here's a rundown of several options:

• Amazon buys RIM's handset business. We first heard last summer that Amazon was thinking about making a smartphone to follow the Kindle Fire, and subsequent reports suggest that Amazon is moving forward with the plan. Unlike Apple and other handset vendors, Amazon's business strategy would not be based on selling phones at a markup, but instead would tie into mobile commerce: Amazon has a huge store of information about customers' buying habits, as well as millions of credit card numbers, and could use this information to roll out a competitive mobile commerce solution consisting of phones, a POS system (perhaps by acquiring Square?), and mobile daily deals (partly through its investment in Living Social). It would also leverage the mobile content and information services it's already built for the Kindle and Kindle Fire. And that's the problem: Amazon already has a set of services and mobile software built for its own fork of Android. Buying RIM would complicate matters by adding a new platform -- BlackBerry 10, based on QNX -- and would not fit into Amazon's business model of selling low-cost hardware as a way to pull through services. It seems much more likely that Amazon will work with Asian manufacturers to develop its own? inexpensive smartphone hardware.?

• Facebook buys RIM's handset business. Facebook's mobile strategy has restarted several times, but the company now seems set on building its own mobile software platform, and at least designing (if not manufacturing) its own hardware. Facebook needs to earn more money from mobile users, and depending on Apple and the Android ecosystem is risky, as it leaves Facebook's mobile strategy subject to the technology changes and business considerations of competitors. Buying RIM's handset business would immediately make Facebook a serious player in smartphones -- Facebook would effectively be buying hardware design expertise, supply chain and manufacturing relationships, a network of software developers, and a big existing customer base. Building these assets alone would take years. That said, integrating the business could be a major distraction that a relatively small company like Facebook cannot afford, especially as it struggles with a recent slowdown in revenue growth.

• Microsoft invests to gain leverage over RIM's enterprise business.?Microsoft already has a smartphone platform, Windows Phone 8, and a deep relationship with a hardware maker, Nokia. However, RIM's core strength is in the enterprise, providing a level of security for mobile email that many big companies and government agencies demand. By investing in RIM, Microsoft would gain leverage over this enterprise business, and could use it to help boost Exchange Server (Microsoft's $2 billion-per-year email server business) over already waning competitors like Novell and IBM, which RIM also supports today. Microsoft could also use this investment to give Windows Phones the same kind of secure messaging support that RIM currently reserves for BlackBerry phones, which would help them penetrate large enterprises and government agencies. Microsoft could also ensure that BlackBerry 10 is integrated with Microsoft services like Skype or Xbox Music, although this would be a secondary consideration.?

• What about a three-way tie up with Microsoft AND Facebook? This is an intriguing possibility: Microsoft could invest in or buy RIM's enterprise business, then use its relationship with Facebook (in which Microsoft owns a small stake) to help broker a deal for RIM's handset business. We've also heard that Microsoft wants Facebook to choose Windows Phone as its mobile platform, so it's possible that a three-way deal would have some tie in with Windows Phone 8, too.

• RIM licenses its secure messaging technology broadly. The big winners here would be Google and Apple. Apple and Android smartphones are already finding their way into enterprises through end-users (a phenomenon known as BYOD, or "bring your own device") and IT departments are being forced to figure out how to manage them. If RIM licensed its secure messaging technology so Apple and Google (or its Android partners) could offer the same level of security that RIM offers to BlackBerry devices, the BYOD invasion could become a rout. Google could particularly benefit, as it already has a suite of enterprise apps; adding military-grade mobile security to Gmail would be a huge selling point.

There could also be some wild-card scenarios, like a possible Microsoft acquisition of Nokia in conjunction with an investment in RIM, or RIM pursuing a much more aggressive patent-licensing strategy.

However it ends up, despite RIM's current problems, the company has been shipping around 40 million smartphones per year and still has a sizable percentage of the handset market. Putting that business up for sale would change the dynamics of the mobile industry.

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Movie Review: 'Brave' | Movies & TV | Arts & Entertainment | Epoch ...

Pixar Features First Heroine

By Victoria Ku
Epoch Times Staff Created: June 25, 2012 Last Updated: June 25, 2012

(L-R) King Fergus, Queen Elinor, and Merida in the animated action-adventure ?Brave,? a film about a determined princess who must rely on her bravery and archery skills to undo a beastly curse. (Courtesy Disney/ Pixar)

Pixar?s first heroine has been greatly anticipated for a long time, and she has finally arrived in ?Brave??a heartwarming, fable-like tale about courage and pride.

Sassy and as bold as her bright red hair, Scottish princess Merida (voiced by Kelly Macdonald) loves adventure, archery, and freedom. When she is told by her parents, Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson) and King Fergus (Billy Connolly), that she will soon be married off to a son of one of the kingdom?s lords, Merida storms out of the castle and attempts to search for her own fate.

Marriage is the last thing on Merida?s mind, even though her mother has been training her to be queen her entire life.

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Things start getting interesting when she crosses paths with a suspicious old woodcarver who claims she can help Merida get her wish that her mother ?will change.?

?Brave? directors Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman creatively insert plot twists that are sure to entertain and surprise the audience. This storyline is tightly wrapped around the mother-daughter relationship of Merida and the queen, sharing a few reminiscent qualities with ?Tangled.?

The stunning animations done by Pixar studios beautifully portray Scotland?s terrain and bring its people and history to life.

Merida is an immensely fierce and strong character. Her character is complex enough to be appreciated by an older audience but stubborn enough to appeal to younger audience members, who may likely relate to her ?That?s so unfair!? arguments with her mother.

Macdonald provides the perfect accent and energy as Merida?s voice. The entire vocal ensemble is very fitting, including Thompson as the mother struggling to break through the communication barrier between her and her daughter, and Connolly playing the easy-going parent.

Merida in the animated action-adventure ?Brave,? a film about a determined princess who must rely on her bravery and archery skills to undo a beastly curse. (Courtesy Disney/ Pixar)

Merida?s three younger, mischievous brothers don?t share much of a vocal presence, but their little gags and tricks provide great laughs from beginning to end.

The Scottish authenticity of the animations is breathtaking, and even the cultural jokes are done tastefully. The strong sense of community among the characters and their connection to their Scottish roots is very prominent.

Brave

Director: Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman
Cast: Kelly Macdonald, Julie Walters, Emma Thompson, Billy Connolly, Kevin McKidd, Craig Ferguson, Robbie Coltrane, John Ratzenberger
Running Time: 100 minutes
Rating: PG

One thing that really stands out about ?Brave? is the musical score written by Patrick Doyle. He captures the essence of Scottish heritage music and still keeps it fresh for modern-day audiences.

A host of excellent qualities can be found in ?Brave??the action, the humor, the characters, the story, and the morality. This fantastic animated picture moves at a quick and steady pace, and it nails the humor without sacrificing the emotion and lessons about pride and family.

?Brave? can easily outshine any other animation feature for originality and heart, but may seem slightly underwhelming only when measured by the audience?s expectations of Pixar and alongside previous classics such as ?Toy Story? and ?Ratatouille.?

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'Anger' actress: I don't think about Sheen's past

FX

Daniela Bobadilla as Sam Goodson in "Anger Management."

By Cody Delistraty

Charlie Sheen doesn't exactly have the reputation as an actor who's easy to work with. Given his recent history of badmouthing just about everyone related to his former sitcom "Two and a Half Men," it's fair to wonder how the self-proclaimed "rock star from Mars" so quickly rounded up a cast for his ?comeback? show,? ?Anger Management.? Sure, the money and (dubious) notoriety that come with working alongside Sheen certainly help, but some close to him?have chosen to insulate themselves from the harsh realities of Sheen?s not-so-distant past.

?Honestly, I?d heard a little bit of what had happened during that big whole rant, but I?m not big on, like, TMZ or anything, so I didn?t read too much into it,? said Daniela Bobadilla, who plays Sheen?s 15-year-old daughter, Sam Goodson. ?As a person, he?s just the most caring, and he?s extremely grateful for anyone and anything around him.?

Though you may not recognize her name, Bobadilla isn?t exactly a newcomer to the small screen. She played Emma on NBC?s just-canceled ?Awake,? and guest starred on ?Desperate Housewives? this year before the series ended.

The doe-eyed 19-year-old?s character has her work cut out for her on ?Anger Management.? ?High-schooler Sam has the task of keeping her anger-prone, superficial father (Sheen) on the straight and narrow. While Bobadilla hasn?t a qualm in the world about working with the infamous actor, ignoring his past requires some clever phrasing and unique thinking.

Asked whether Sheen?s past behavior taints the show, Bobadilla demurred, then responded, ?Depends what you focus on."

But for her it?s not Sheen?s past but his imminent retirement that?s most upsetting. ?Charlie?s just so good I got really sad when he told me that (he?s retiring after ?Anger Management?). I asked him one day on set, ?Are you sure?? He?s like, ?Yeah. You can watch my earlier stuff. I?ve done it for a while.? So many people love him. I mean, I?m going to be sad. Really sad.?

Perhaps this sadness stems from an apparently reinvented Sheen who has crafted a kinder image of himself during this final, redemptive hurrah, showing a sweet disposition toward Bobadilla ever since her first audition for the show.

After the audition, ?Charlie started singing one of the songs that I had done in a musical theater production, and it totally freaked me out,? Bobadilla recounted. ?I was like, ?Uh ...,? and he?s like, ?Yup, I YouTubed you!? ?

Run a YouTube search for Sheen, however, and it?s clear that he doesn?t lead as bright and smiley of a life as his co-star. It's difficult to see the Sheen that Bobadilla so fondly describes. His frustration with ?Two and a Half Men? still lingers, and he maintains a bitterness toward the TV industry that was made evident in his recent interview with The New York Times.

?I watch those yahoos (at "Two and a Half Men") struggle over garbage, and it was still garbage and insisting that they?d done their best, and they hadn?t," he fumed to the paper. "They got lazy. And they got other shows going and abandoned us. Whatever.?

While Sheen works his way through his multitude of recent missteps and the relationships they've destroyed, in Bobadilla's glimmering eyes, the sun is brightly shining and everything is swell for her co-star and "Anger Management."

"I have to see him as the person he hopefully is," she said. "He?s back, he?s OK, he?s trying to make things right!?

Whether it's true is beside the point.

"Anger Management" premieres June 28 at 9 p.m. on FX.

Will you tune in to see if Sheen's turned a new leaf for "Anger Management"? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

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