As if one Research In Motion co-CEO saying that the software flaws in the BlackBerry Storm are the "new reality" isn't enough, their second chief is now admitting that "no one gets it perfect out the door." On the heels of the lukewarm launch of BlackBerry App World, Laptop Magazine sat down to talk with RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis about the Storm, and the future of BlackBerry devices.
First and foremost, he took the opportunity to tout the company's ability to provide a push technology solution to its customers. "We offer a full push, multitasking operating system, where all the applications that actually have a wireless push registration with the OS are continuously updated. And when a push certification comes in, that push certification is authenticated and given to the app. That's a big deal, and we've had that for a decade." Indeed, as Research In Motion has been a player in the market since 1999, and has shipped over 50 million devices since - half of which were shipped in the last year alone.
The full interview can be found here, and is worth the read. For the record, co-CEO Jim Balsillie's January comments about the Storm's software issues being the "new reality" was poorly worded, and unacceptable coming from a company like RIM. In my opinion, this is the corporate version of "everyone's jumping off the bridge, so we should too."
I break with those in the tech arena that are similarly criticizing Lazaridis for his comments. I tend to agree with him, because he's right: things aren't perfect out the door. Many have (and still do) criticize Apple for not including MMS at the initial launch of the iPhone. Apple's popular touchscreen device also suffers from less than perfect battery life. When you realize the software and hardware improvements of the iPhone, from 2007 to present, I think it puts a perspective on the errors found in the relatively young BlackBerry Storm. It's only fair to give it equal time.