RIM Doesn't Want 200 Fart Apps

andylim writes "Just when you thought it was safe to dev a fart app for a BlackBerry, RIM's VP of platform product management, Alan Panezic, is making it clear that that's not want RIM is looking for. 'We don't need 200 fart apps in App World. Those are apps you'll use three or four times then never open again. You're not looking at ads, clicking on ads or buying premium upgrades, and the app isn't adding any value to your device.' Turns out RIM wants 'SuperApps', ones that keep you coming back for more because they add something to your life — be it ongoing entertainment value or doing something for you. Most importantly for developers, these are the apps that will garner the most revenue; whether it comes from premium upgrades, in-app advertising, or additional-cost content."

Comments

Unfortunately for RIM...

[Anonymusing]

...many of its customers actually want fart apps, because some people think they're entertaining.

Re:Unfortunately for RIM...

[gad_zuki!]

RIMs real customers are BES using corporate customers. They want quality apps that can be sold with volume licensing. I suspect the people using BIS really aren't their real customers and RIM goes out of their way to discourage the whole "ZOMG MY PHONE IS FUN!!" vibe that defines the non-enterprise market, which is probably a good thing. They're not going to beat Apple and Google at their own game, but certainly they can keep enterprise going and continue to be the "serious" phone for business. If anything, they're more worried about Microsoft than Apple or Google.

Re:Unfortunately for RIM...

[_Sprocket_]

I suspect the people using BIS really aren't their real customers and RIM goes out of their way to discourage the whole "ZOMG MY PHONE IS FUN!!" vibe that defines the non-enterprise market, which is probably a good thing.

Have you seen the commericals for the Torch?

Re:Unfortunately for RIM...

[vux984]

RIM goes out of their way to discourage the whole "ZOMG MY PHONE IS FUN!!" vibe that defines the non-enterprise market

http://na.blackberry.com/devices/blackberrytorch/

Tag line.. "Act on Inspiration"
Um... I guess that enterprisey right?

Top billing: maximized multimedia - pinch & zoom, enhanced music player
for the enterprise user who needs to zoom in on his album artwork?

Second billng: 5 megapixel camera
for the enterprise user who needs to capture those precious spontaneous moments?

Third billing: Integrated social feeds (facebook leads the list)
For the enterprise user who... I give up. ... lets try the next one one

http://na.blackberry.com/eng/devices/blackberrypearl3G/
Tagline - "Carry your friends in your pocket"

Yeah... we're done here.

For what its worth I agree blackberry is still a top contender in the enterprise space and has a lot of features aimed specifically at their needs. But I think you are going too far trying to claim they "go out of their way to discourage" the whole fun side of things.

Re:Unfortunately for RIM...

[HateBreeder]

Your battery lasts for 2 days? Do you mean the car battery with the in-vehicle charger?

Under normal use I have to recharge my phone every night.

Re:Unfortunately for RIM...

[santiagodraco]

The problem with the iPhone for business is that for some strange reason they either 1) don't understand how business professionals work or 2) take shortcuts with software design and leave out important features.

- Like snoozable alarms for calendar alerts
- Or clickable numbers/links in calendar items (this was missing for ages)

There's a bunch of things I can't think of off the top of my head that make the phone less appealing for business users, all things that they should be able to easily implement in software.

The changes to Mail were welcome however, including shared inbox. Now if we just had a contact list I could immediately type letters into I'd be happy.

Re:Unfortunately for RIM...

[Kenshin]

Second billng: 5 megapixel camera
for the enterprise user who needs to capture those precious spontaneous moments?

Have you ever needed to take a photo of something on-site and send it to a client or someone back at the office? I have. It's a useful feature.

Re:All we need is Netcraft confirmation

[Anonymous Coward]

Wait... you actually LIKE Xcode?

So far I've never met anyone who didn't have the urge to jump off a building after being forced to use it.

I actually happen to also like XCode. You don't happen to work at a psychiatric hospital with a large number of patients on suicide watch, would you? If so then I think there could be other explanations for your observation than XCode.

What a Jackass

[Anonymous Coward]

Alan Panezic sez: "We don't need 200 fart apps in App World. Those are apps you'll use three or four times then never open again."

The very fact that your developers want to write them and your customers want to download them means nothing to you?

Everyone knows that if a PDA can't fart, it can't do shit.

Vuvuzela app

[js3]

You can block my 200 fart apps but I only need one vuvuzela app..

Re:All we need is Netcraft confirmation

[chargersfan420]

Notice how the only people advocating Xcode are anonymous cowards?

Re:That's how I use my phone?

[kevinmenzel]

Ok fine, then... Download your apps from places other than appworld? It's not the only place to get blackberry apps. Crackberry has a feature rich store, etc. Yes appworld is one of the easiest ways to start an ota install from your mobile but even then I've had apps before that I installed from the browser. This is, perhaps the difference between RIM and Apple - with Apple, the only way to get your app on a non-jail broken device is to sell it through their store. With RIM that's just one option.

Re:Free for all, or app market?

[jedidiah]

> One reason why Microsoft and Apple take the walled garden approach is because of Joe and the dancing bunny security problem.

This is utter nonsense as demonstrated by the Mac.

Microsoft and Apple take the walled garden approach because they like monopolies and control.

Only looking at ads provide value??

[nurb432]

WTF is wrong with these people. Advertisements do NOT enhance anything, and I'm sick of them as they are everywhere..

'200 fart apps' is a side-effect

[MikShapi]

'200 fart apps' is a side-effect of a huge creative force called a non-restricted (or nearly-unrestricted) army of free developers.

Sure, they do what the market wants, rather than what RIM's CEO deems is of a personal opinion could be useful.

pro: huge app base, huge choice of vendor for the same kind of app, unique idea apps (turn iPhone screen into a break light for a bicycle? etc etc).
con: fart apps. Seriously, big whoop.

They go in a tight package. Ask Linus. Ask Bill. Ask Steve.
RIM is not a platform for any 3rd party software dev that isn't actively being paid by RIM. It's not a platform - it's a standalone niche product.

The con might give your platform -1, but the pro gives it +100.
Which is why RIM will never crawl out of its corporate niche.

PS
Had a bb from work for 2 years. Now have i

Re:Why as a business user I switched away from RIM

[Anonymous Coward]

but in my experience most of the places I've worked (smaller installs, 25-100 handhelds) don't use them and are constantly hammered for requests to support ActiveSync devices.

Which is exactly what the GP said.
The management tools are a requirement for bigger shops - the ability to remote-wipe and specify granular security options are HUGE for organizations with more than a few devices to worry about.

When companies break 10,000 users and somebody installs a wallpaper app which sends your customer list to china or decides to take down your mail servers they're typically wishing they went with a platform designed for business.