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RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook Wins Corporate Customers Months Before Release

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Research In Motion's (RIM) BlackBerry PlayBook, a tablet designed to compete with Apple's iPad, is winning corporate customers before its debut. Canadian companies such as Sun Life Financial and ING's Canadian banking unit are committing to purchasing the device. Insurance company Manulife Financial Corp. is testing the product as part of RIM's early-developer program. RIM is betting on the PlayBook's security features, such as email encryption, to win over corporate customers. The company plans to sell the device for under $500, with features including twin cameras for videoconferencing and a seven-inch screen for portability.

Key Takeaways:

  • Sun Life Financial plans to buy 500 to 1,000 PlayBooks initially, with the possibility of increasing the number as it begins to use them more widely.
  • ING's Canadian banking unit aims to buy an undisclosed number of PlayBooks for employees and is building a banking app for customers.
  • Manulife Financial Corp. is testing the PlayBook as part of RIM's early-developer program and plans to use it to leverage their past investment in BlackBerrys.
  • RIM's PlayBook will sell for under $500, cheaper than Apple's iPad, which starts at $499.
  • The PlayBook's security features, such as email encryption, are a key selling point for corporate customers.
  • RIM co-chief executive officer Jim Balsillie said the PlayBook is three to four times faster than the iPad.

Statistics:

  • 500 to 1,000: The number of PlayBooks Sun Life Financial plans to buy initially.
  • 65%: The percentage of Fortune 100 companies that are deploying or piloting the iPad, according to Apple.
  • 3 million: The number of iPads sold by Apple in the first 80 days of its release.
  • 95%: Apple's share of the tablet market last quarter, according to Strategy Analytics.
  • $499: The starting price of Apple's iPad, with 16 gigabytes of memory.

Sources:

  • Bloomberg News: "Research in Motion Wins Corporate Customers With BlackBerry PlayBook"
  • Waterloo Region Record: "RIM's PlayBook gets early support from companies"
  • Toronto Star: "RIM's PlayBook: A smaller iPad that's a niche player"

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