拿什么拯救你，黑莓

????很多人已經放棄了黑莓手機生產商移動研究公司（Research in Motion，RIM），理由充分。曾經在移動商務通信領域叱咤風云的RIM如今已經喪失了市場領導地位。

????上上周，RIM首席執行官托斯滕?海因斯宣布的一則消息進一步壓低了該股股價。RIM決定保留過時的操作系統，計劃明年一季度推出新的版本。這個消息毫無疑問地表明，這家公司前途渺茫。

????事實上，我建議選擇另一條道路：效法蘋果（Apple）。2006年，史蒂夫?喬布斯將所有產品線中的IBM PowerPC芯片都換成了英特爾（Intel）半導體。隨后，蘋果開始放手專注于自己最擅長的領域——整體用戶體驗。盡管此類傳言多年來不絕于耳，喬布斯最初的聲明仍然震驚了Mac粉絲。時至今日，我們知道這一步是多么地有先見之明。重新將重點放在用戶體驗上是新蘋果的開始，如今蘋果已成為世界上最有價值的公司。

????RIM完全可以拋棄自身已無法吸引開發者的軟件平臺，改用谷歌（Google）安卓（Android）系統的同時保持其獨特的黑莓（Blackberry）硬件產品線。RIM可以在安卓平臺上提供商務版操作系統，提升自身的價值。其中包括與Salesforce.com、甲骨文（Oracle）和SAP等企業平臺連接的內置式接口。一般安卓手機更多地裝有消費應用和多媒體應用，而不是出廠自帶的核心商務應用軟件。

????如果由于某些原因、谷歌不愿與RIM合作，RIM也可以轉向微軟（Microsoft），采用其Windows Mobile 操作系統。接下來的挑戰是Windows Mobile同樣存在應用軟件和開發人員不足的問題。RIM最好還是與谷歌達成協議，打造移動商務平臺。

????黑莓用戶普遍喜歡黑莓手機的構成和鍵盤。很多人發現很難改用虛擬鍵盤，寧愿繼續使用他們“頂呱呱的黑莓”。通過提供現代的操作系統和商業應用軟件，海因斯先生既可以滿足用戶需求，也能讓用戶更愿意留下來。RIM已打造了一個全球性的快速網絡，其安全性對于企業用戶具有極大的價值。但是，除非它能很快推出一個平臺得到開發人員的有力支持，否則這個全球網絡必將消亡。

????五年前充滿希望地起用黑莓手機的財富500強首席科技官，如今面對的是憤怒的用戶希望得到前沿的商業應用軟件。如果RIM改用安卓系統，就能留住龐大的公司用戶群體。但這些首席科技官們不會等到明年。我和很多首席科技官們聊過，有些早已在實施黑莓退出計劃。RIM的困境持續只會讓過時的趨勢真的成為過時。

????RIM只有幾個月的時間來調整方向。如果向史蒂夫?喬布斯學習，今秋就能拿出一款升級手機。否則，在這個RIM共同打造的市場中，它或許會面臨被邊緣化的窘境，最后只剩一家圓周理論物理研究所（Perimeter Institute）。

????Jack Hidary是一位初創企業投資者，Dice.com的共同創始人和前首席執行官。

????譯者：早稻米

????Many have given up on Research in Motion -- with good reason. The company has ceded its leadership in a space it once dominated.

????Last week RIM's (RIMM) CEO Thorsten Heins depressed the stock further by announcing that the company will stick to its outdated operating system and come out with its next iteration in the first quarter of next year. This -- without question -- will doom the company to failure.

????Instead I suggest a different approach: pull a reverse Apple (AAPL). In 2006, Steve Jobs swapped out the proprietary PowerPC (IBM) chips for Intel (INTC) semiconductors across its product line. Apple was then free to focus on what it does best -- total user experience. Though a rumored possibility on and off for years, Jobs' initial announcement shocked Mac fans. We can now see how prescient a move it really was. Refocusing on user experience was the beginning of the new Apple that has come to be the most valued company in the world.

????RIM can easily jettison its software platform, which has failed to attract developers, and license Google's (GOOG) Android while keeping its unique line of Blackberry hardware. RIM can add value on the Android platform by delivering a business version of the OS. This would include built-in hooks for Salesforce.com (CRM), Oracle (ORCL), SAP (SAP) and other enterprise platforms. The typical Android phone is geared more for consumer applications and multimedia rather than hard-core business apps out-of-the box.

????If for some reason, Google will not play ball with RIM, the company can turn to Microsoft (MSFT) and license its mobile Windows OS. The challenge then will be the paucity of apps and developers on that platform as well. But RIM is better off cutting a deal with Google and creating a mobile business platform.

????Blackberry users love the form factor and keyboard of their devices. Many find it hard to use a virtual keyboard and would rather stick with their "crack berries." Mr. Heins can give them what they want with a modern OS and the biz apps that will make it easy to stay with Blackberry. RIM has built a fast global network whose security offers a lot of value to enterprise users. However, unless it rolls out a platform soon that has strong developer support this network will disappear.

????Fortune 500 CTOs who adopted Blackberry with such gusto five years ago are now facing angry users who want cutting-edge business apps. If RIM jumps to Android they can keep their strong corporate user base. But these same CTOs will not wait until next year. I have spoken a number of CTO's who are already implementing their Blackberry exit plans. RIM's continued woes are only likely to make an anecdotal trend an actual one.

????RIM has only a few months to change course. If they take a page from the book of Steve Jobs they can come out with an updated device this fall. Otherwise, RIM might as well fold into its Perimeter Institute because that is exactly where it will end up -- on the outskirts of the very market the firm helped create.

????Jack Hidary is a startup investor and co-founder and former CEO of Dice.com (DHX). Send Jack comments @jackhidary.