2012 hasn't been a great year for RIM. With multiple delays to its new BlackBerry 10 platform, a subsequent lack of new hardware and the turning over of top level staff, from the global CEOs to the loss of two Australian MDs, there hasn't been a lot of stability for the Canadian company.
But despite the hardships, the attitude from local MD Matthew Ball during an interview with TechRadar this week wasn't fear or doubt, but optimism. And it's all because of BB10.
Following the Australian leg of the BB10 world tour from the global CEO Thorsten Heins, CMO Frank Boulben and global head of sales Rick Costanzo, Ball was keen to explain to us just how much the company believes in the BlackBerry 10 platform.
"They've been taking the BB10 beta device and hardware proposition around to carriers globally with the point of saying, 'We're here, we're here to stay and we're keen to partner with you guys. We've taken your feedback from a product perspective, here's our proposition with BB10, and this is what it looks like end to end,'" Ball said.
"And it's exciting. There's genuinely heartfelt excitement to see the various level C-level guys, their mood and their sentiment, as well as seeing the carrier's reactions."
After having the top brass speak with all the Australian carriers, those reactions have been very promising for RIM , especially given the pure volume of new hardware on offer across the iOS, Android, Windows Phone and BlackBerry operating systems.
"I think in some ways the market gets a little desensitised to something new coming out. But when [the carriers] see the [BB10] proposition, you can see the transition go from - not so much skepticism but you can see the transition go from flat line to 'wow, this is something pretty cool,'" Ball said.
"So we're pumped, and Australia is recognised as a key priority market for BlackBerry as part of this BB10 launch, which is fantastic for us. We've got a really strong team locally here, and a really passionate team around driving the business and increasing market share."
