Skip to main content

RIM responds to highly critical, anonymous letter

RIM headquarters
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Boy Genius Report has published an open letter allegedly from a “high-level RIM employee” that is severely critical of the company—and, surprisingly, RIM has responded in public—although the depth of that response may not satisfy many concerned BlackBerry fans.

The letter opens with “I have lost confidence” and goes on to make an impassioned plea for the future of the company, laying out eight main points that the author believes will be crucial to turning around RIM’s fortunes. The author claims to articulating feelings “across a huge percentage” of RIM’s employee base, but says that speaking up openly through standard corporate channels could have “career-limiting” effects. The letter goes on to praise the talent and capabilities of many of RIM’s employees, but chastises RIM’s management, claiming teams aren’t working together well and that the company needs to pare down its projects, focusing on the end user an app experience by leveraging RIM’s end-to-end control of their platform. The letter also claims RIM’s management is lacks familiarity with competing products, doesn’t listen to its employees, and claims the company is relying on “lazy marketing” to sell its products.

Recommended Videos

Boy Genius Report says it has verified the identity of the author.

RIM responded to the letter with surprising speed. The company first questioned its authenticity, finding it “difficult to believe” a high-level employee would resort to an anonymous letter rather than express concerns through internal channels. RIM’s response goes on to assert that the company’s senior management is “aggressively addressing” the company’s current challenges, and that there is “much excitement” within RIM for products the company is planning to introduce in the coming months.

In the meantime, RIM’s co-CEO’s may have found a way to dodge a bullet at this month’s annual shareholder meeting: it has persuaded Northwest & Ethical Investments (NEI) to withdraw its proposal that RIM separate its CEO and board chairmanship positions. NEI is one of two proxy firms that have advocated RIM separate its chairman and CEO roles, arguing that RIM investors’ interests are not being adequately represented by having co-CEO’s Mike Lazaridis and Jam Balsillie in both roles. Instead, RIM’s board will establish a committee of independent directors who will study the situation and report back to the board by January 31, 2012. The board will then have 30 days to respond to the committee’s report.

Geoff Duncan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
Apple gets relief for an AI ache. It could fix Apple Intelligence for everyone
Apple Intelligence update on iPhone 15 Pro Max.

It’s no secret that Apple’s AI efforts, especially on the iPhone, haven’t quite managed to create a stir, neither in terms of capabilities, nor the pace of innovation. The company, however, has finally managed a breakthrough in one of its biggest markets, which is also the central part of its product manufacturing operations.

Earlier today, Reuters reported that Apple has picked Chinese giant Alibaba to lead its AI efforts in the country. So far, iPhone and Mac users in China haven’t been able to take advantage of the Apple Intelligence tech stack. That’s due to the regulatory norms in China, which mandate a local partner to offer such services.

Read more
I tested the Galaxy S25 Plus and iPhone 16 Pro cameras, this one wins
Samsung Galaxy S25 and iPhone 16 Pro

Smartphones have been getting bigger for years, but as they’ve done so, a new realm of smaller phones has launched to cater to those who want something more pocket-friendly. By small, I don’t mean Mini — although I’d love Mini phones to make a comeback — but rather, more friendly when using them with one hand.

Both Samsung and Apple have helped pioneer this trend, by ensuring there’s a smartphone that’s the perfect size for any needs. Yet, they’ve taken different approaches to doing so, as part of differing strategies on what the ideal smartphone lineup should look like.

Read more
Smaller Dynamic Island rumored for this iPhone
The Dynamic Island on the iPhone 16 Pro.

Apple could significantly change its Dynamic Island feature, starting with this year’s iPhone 17 Pro Max.

According to leaker Digital Chat Station (via MacRumors), the upcoming device will use a "metalens" for Face ID that merges the transmitter and receiver components. This change is expected to create a smaller and thinner Dynamic Island.

Read more