Ting YinNetw 583Professor Jude LamourWeek 3: Case Analysis 2 RIMMarch 22, 2015

Apply as many TCOs as you can to the RIM

The following TCOs can be applied to this case.

TCO A, TCO B, TCO C, and TCO D

What were some of the challenges that RIM faced to protect its intellectual property, and how did RIM handle those challenges?

In 2001, New Technology Product (NTP) sued Research In Motion (RIM) for patent

encroachment. NTP accused RIM of infringing on four of its patents . One of the patents was

associated with an “electronic mail system with RF communications to mobile processors and

method(s) of operation” (Dinges, 2006). NTP upheld its licenses’ rights to essential holding and

accused RIM of disregarding its remote interchanges in electronic mail frameworks as well as its

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A Given a company situation be able to describe the industry dynamics of technological innovation.

B Given a company situation be able to determine whether and how to protect its technological innovations.

C Given an organizational and industry context, identify the core technological competencies of the organization.

D Given an organizational context, develop a plan to increase the innovative capabilities of the organization both through collaboration strategies and internal innovation.

E Given information about a company's industry and organization, formulate a technological innovation strategy through its new product development strategy.

F Given an organizational and industry context, identify and suggest a deployment strategy that will facilitate the success of a technologically driven organization.

licenses’ coatings for the utilization of Radio Frequency (RF). From 2001 to 2006, RIM fought

with NTP regarding the proprietorial right to the email with RF communications; RIM settled

with NTP for $612.5 million (US) (TCO B) (Reilly, 2005).

In 2008, Motorola claimed that RIM infringed on seven of its patent rights and legal

licenses for the Blackberry 8000, arrangement gadgets, and the Blackberry Enterprise Server.

This patent infringement lawsuit stemmed from a related lawsuit in which Motorola claimed that

RIM encroached on some of its products or parts of their licenses (Onges, 2008). On May 2,

2012, Nokia filed a patent encroachment claim against RIM. The claim identified the following

innovations as being infringed upon: 1) a light sensor for screen splendor control; and 2) remote

synchronization of a database and portable schedule, the force sparing of GSM gadgets, and

timetable utilization of channels (Robert, 2012). On May 8, 2012, Hunter Point Ventures

recorded a patent encroachment claim against RIM. The organization claimed that RIM violated

Hunter Point Venture’s “system for music play rundown choice in a compact sound gadget”

(Roberts, 2012).

RIM’s business revenue has seen a significant decline since the fourth quarter of 2011

caused by competitive and never-ending litigation regarding the company’s innovations (Onges,

2008). However, BlackBerry shares rocketed up 16% on a Reuters report after Samsung claimed

interest in buying the company (Rosoff, 2015) (TCO A).

What were some of the industry factors that influenced RIM?

1) Technological innovation of mobile communication devices

2) Smartphone marketplace competition

3) Consumer need for user friendly operation of technology

4) Importance of information security technology

5) Available talent technological workforce

6) Consumer need for information gathering and processing capabilities

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RIM’s Blackberry was once considered the premier product and a game changer in the

infancy of the smartphone years, becoming a fixture in many corporations. Employees could be

in or out of their workplaces and still retrieve messages securely on their mobile devices. It

offered quick retrieval of data on the go (TCO D). In the smartphone realm, Blackberry was a

breakthrough that provided great data security systems. Blackberry’s capacity to accept email

was a major principle of its desirability over other cell phones, and Edge marketed the

Blackberry as the major smartphone brand (RIM) (TCO D). Unfortunately, all technological

products require constant improvement. Both Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android systems

exploded on the market; they continue to hold significant market shares today (TCO A) .

Certain innovations did help RIM keep the Blackberry on the market. Edge planned and

licensed the now universal QWERTY console. QWERTY empowered snappy writing with the

thumbs. By supplementing IT administration, Edge Wireless Services complemented with the

BlackBerrys (Edge Wireless) (TCO D). The supplemental administrator includes the servers, a

handheld, programming, and administration that work well with the Blackberry. Therefore, RIM

recommends the Blackberry as a fixture for business experts (RIM).

Edge targets corporate professionals; the Blackberry’s versatility allows access to

corporate systems, such as company intranet, email, and administration frameworks, from

outside the workplace. These features have moved the entire organization toward greater

engagement in corporate activity ( Edge Wireless) (TCO D). The data transmission provided by

RIM subsequently lowered mailing expenses. At the time, no comparable quality administration

for RIM models existed. In the business interchanges arena, the Blackberry remote gadget was a

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pioneer; no other gadget offered the benefits provided by the Blackberry and its administration

(TCO D) (RIM).

RIM eventually changed their name to BlackBerry Ltd.—a rebranding closer to the

company’s product and reputation throughout its history. The company must continue to

generate blockbuster products to regain its status as a major competitor in the market. Their large

collection of IP, if used correctly, can help them earn greater profits (TCO B). Blackberry still

has a significant share of the corporate market; they can remain in this niche for now (TCO A)

(Zielenziger, 2013).

Apply as many TCOs as you can to the RIM

TCO A Given a company situation be able to describe the industry dynamics of technological innovation.TCO B Given a company situation be able to determine whether and how to protect its technological innovations.TCO C Given an organizational and industry context, identify the core technological competencies of the organization.TCO D Given an organizational context, develop a plan to increase the innovative capabilities of the organization both through collaboration strategies and internal innovation.

Innovation (TCO A), protecting the innovation (TCO B), identifying the core

technological competencies (TCO C), and collaboration and internal innovation TCO D are the

TCOs applicable to RIM. Blackberry was once considered a highly innovative device on the

market. In addition to being a major smartphone manufacturer in its time, RIM offered

innovative changes that included a keypad, wireless email, and touch screen (TCO C) (RIM).

Protecting innovation is one of the most important TCOs discussed in this paper. RIM

went through multiple patent infringement lawsuits; therefore, TCO B can be applied to RIM. As

with all organizations, it is essential to identify organizational and work-based competencies.

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RIM, as an innovative smartphone maker, must focus its resources and time on mobile devices

and associated tools and accessories (TCO C) (RIM).

Reference

Dinges, J. (2006). Extraterritorial Patent Infringement Liability After NTP, Inc. v. Research In Motion, Ltd. Journal of Corporate Law. Pages 217 - 236.

Edge Wireless. (n.d.). Retrieved from :http://us.blackberry.com/smartphones/edge-wireless.html#!retailer=edge-wireless

G. M. Reilly. (2005). The Territorial Limits of U.S. Patent Law – NTP, Inc. v. Research In Motion, Ltd., 418 F.3d 1282. TEMPLE JOURNAL OF SCI. TECH. & ENVTL. LAW. Retrieved from http://www.temple.edu/law/tjstel/2006/spring/v25no1-Reilly.pdf

Gullo, K. (2014, March). BlackBerry Wins Order Barring Sales by Seacrest’s Typo. Bloomberg.com.

Maisto, M. (2012, May). Nokia with Patent Wins Against Apple Eyes RIM HTC Viewsonic. Retrieved from: http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/Nokia-with-Patent-Wins-Against-Apple-Eyes-RIM-HTC-Viewsonic-668948#sthash.3YrjGsGR.dpuf

Onge, S.T. (2008, February). Research In Motion, Motorola Trade Suits Over Patents . Bloomberg. Retrieved from http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=asGNRWUV9YfQ

RIM. (n.d.) Retrieved from: http://www.rim.com/

Roberts, J.J. (2012, May). BlackBerry Hit with Patent Over Music. Retrieved from: https://gigaom.com/2012/05/07/blackberry-hit-with-patent-over-music/

Rosoff,M. (2015). Here's What Samsung Wins By Buying BlackBerry. Business Insider. Retrieved from:

http://www.businessinsider.com/samsung-blackberry-2015-1

Schilling, M. Strategic Management of Technological Innovation, 3rd Edition. McGraw-Hill Learning Solutions. 2009. VitalBook file.

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Zielenziger, D. (2013, January) What Is A Name? Will RIM Prosper Changing Its Name To BlackBerry?. International Business Times.

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