RIM首季亏损迫使黑莓10延期

    弗雷斯特研究公司（Forrester Research）分析师查尔斯•戈尔文在周四的文章中称：“黑莓10设备要想一上市便吸引消费者和开发人员的眼球就必须证明它比其他同类产品具有明显的跨代和跨界优势，然而，这样的可能性显然微乎其微。”

    不过，在周四的开发者电话会议上，RIM高管坚持认为，黑莓10将成为智能手机市场一个不可忽视的挑战者，并将为股东创造“长期价值”。除了开发新手机平台外，RIM还在寻找其他战略上的选择。上个月，公司宣布，聘请摩根大通（JPMorgan）与加拿大皇家银行（RBC Capital ）对公司的选择进行“战略评估”，其中包括寻找新的合作伙伴、拆分公司业务等。投资者一直希望能详细了解公司的全新战略方向，但他们在周四的电话会议上没有得到想要的答案。海因斯只是一再强调，RIM正在进行各方面的研究，可能继续坚持目前的“独立”战略，也可能采取“你们能够想到的任何一种其他模式”。

    RIM进行战略选择评估的同时，黑莓手机的销售却在放缓。部分原因是消费者放弃了RIM的QWERTY实体键盘手机，转而选择iPhone和安卓智能手机。另外一个原因则来自企业用户。越来越多的企业用户放弃了RIM，转而接受所谓“自带移动设备”计划，允许员工携带个人的智能手机上班。上个季度，RIM的净手机用户基数确实出现增加，但其北美市场用户却在大量流失。而北美市场对RIM至关重要，这一地区的每用户平均收入（ARPU）远远高于其他市场。

    未来几个季度中，RIM的困境不会有任何改善，尤其是再度推迟黑莓10的发布日期更是让RIM的处境雪上加霜。RIM已经宣布，预计2013财年第2季度公司仍将继续亏损。

    译者：刘进龙/汪皓

    "For the first BlackBerry 10 device to win the attention of customers and developer at its new launch date it will have to prove itself better than the alternatives by leaps and bounds — the likelihood of that is very, very low," Charles Golvin, an analyst with Forrester Research, wrote on Thursday.

    But on the call with investors on Thursday, RIM executives insisted that BlackBerry 10 would be a viable competitor and create "long-term stakeholder value." In parallel with development of the new mobile platform, RIM is also looking into other strategic options. Last month, the company announced it had engaged JPMorgan (JPM) and RBC Capital to "review" its options, which could include forging new partnerships or breaking up the company. Investors had hoped to hear more details on what a new, strategic direction of the company could look like, but they got nothing on Thursday's earnings call. All Heins would say is that RIM is looking into everything from continuing with its existing "standalone" strategy to "whatever other model you could think about."

    While RIM evaluates options, sales of BlackBerries are slowing. And it's not just consumers that are abandoning RIM's QWERTY devices in favor of iPhones and Android smartphones. A growing number of corporate customers are ditching RIM for so-called "bring your own device" programs that let employees use their smartphone of choice at work. RIM's net subscriber base grew last quarter, but it is bleeding customers in North America -- a crucial market in which the company rakes in a higher revenue per user, otherwise known as ARPU.

    RIM's churn won't improve over the next few quarters, especially in light of the company's announcement that BlackBerry 10 will launch later than expected. RIM now says it expects to report an operating loss in the second quarter of fiscal 2013 as well.