RIM’s New CEO Exposes Future Plans, Doesn't Propose Changes

RIM has got a new President and Chief Executive Officer, in the person of Thorsten Heins. Both Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie stepped down from their co-CEO positions, but they did not leave the company. 

Research In Motion’s founders and former co-CEOs will be there to continue to offer guidance. Lazaridis will act as Vice Chair of RIM’s Board and Chair of the Board’s new Innovation Committee, while Balsillie will be a member of the board. 

Following the initial announcement regarding the leadership change, RIM took the time today to present its new CEO to the world. Thorsten Heins, in his turn, presented his plans for the future of the handset vendor. 

One thing that strikes from the beginning is the fact that Heins is determined to continue on the same road that RIM currently is on, which many suggest could actually lead to destruction. 

Referring to the purchase of QNX, Heins said that RIM did a great move: “We are more confident than ever that was the right path. It is Mike and Jim’s continued unwillingness to sacrifice long-term value for short-term gain which has made RIM the great company that it is today. 

“I share that philosophy and am very excited about the company’s future,” he also said. “RIM earned its reputation by focusing relentlessly on the customer and delivering unique mobile communications solutions. We intend to build on this heritage to expand BlackBerry’s leadership position,” Heins noted.

RIM has been long lagging behind Google and Apple, and some of the latest rumors around the web suggested that the company might be set to put itself up for sale. 

Clearly, RIM’s current strategy isn’t paying off, and the company needs to make some major changes to ensure it becomes successful once again. For the time being, it appears that the new CEO won’t make these changes. 

In the video embedded below, you can see Heins, which has been with the company for four years, stating that RIM should continue what it is doing to become successful. 

"If we continue doing well what we're doing, I see no problems with us being in the top three players worldwide in the next years in wireless,” he says. 

He also notes that he has no plans to split the company into separate businesses, but that he is opened to the idea of licensing the upcoming BlackBerry 10 operating system. 

“Now on the licensing piece: I’m absolutely confident that BlackBerry 10 will prove itself as a platform,” he stated. 

“If there is requests coming towards Research In Motion to talk about licensing that platform to other companies I will entertain those discussions, I will listen, I will access the business opportunity for RIM and if it makes sense strategically and tactically to go down that path, and then I will make the decision together with the board.”

“It’s not my focus one. My focus one is to strengthen RIM’s business based on that integrated approach,” he also said. 

At the moment, the company is set to bring to the market the new PLayBook 2.0 platform, which will be released in February (some point at the 17th day of the month), and to release BlackBerry 10 in due time.

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