Blackberry and Circumstances

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Blackberry and Circumstances

Mike Lazaridis and Doug Fregin founded this mobile communications company in 1984. They previously called the company Research in Motion (Mittal, 2019). However, they built the pager cable of email in 1999. It was their first device. In 2002, they released their first smartphone, which became widely sought after around the globe. Bankers, business owners, and various individuals had a pair of this excellent smartphone. The BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) was their selling point.


In 2015/2016, blackberry encountered some forces that made them struggle in the smartphone market. Apple and Samsung’s introduction of outstanding smartphones affected Blackberry’s dominance in the global market. Their market share went from 33% in 2011 to 0.04% in 2023. As customers' tastes and preferences changed, Apple and Samsung created phones, designs, and operating systems that accommodated these changes. However, blackberry did not keep up with these changes. They did not switch to touch screens; they were loyal to their operating systems and a couple of other reasons. Although the shift in taste affected blackberry, technological and design advancement and forces also affected this company. These factors were initially beyond their control. But I believe they could have found a way to accommodate the changes and improve their company.





Socio-Technical Plan.

Socio-technical systems combine humans, relationships, technology, and other techniques for improved productivity (Botla & Kondur, 2018). The components of a socio-technical system make it easier for firms to respond to change. Initially, Blackberry had the perfect combination of technology and sociology. They changed lifestyles, work ethics, and values. They incorporated systems that made social life and communication easier too. However, these systems became obsolete, and the firm wanted to keep its ideologies and make new inquiries and combinations. 

The right socio-technical plan would have prevented blackberry’s failure and positively impacted the firm. They would have created systems and designs that match societal goals and made the right partnerships.


Forces Affecting Innovation.

We can group the changes in taste and preferences under social and societal influences. The consumers wanted a phone with a larger screen and no visible keypads. Since blackberry didn't offer that, the consumers moved to smartphones that did. The introduction of BBM was a catchment area for Blackberry. However, introducing the prevalence of I-messages, WhatsApp, and other social communication channels made blackberry lose its edge. Other companies, notably Apple and Samsung, conducted research and made technical upgrades to their phones. They updated their operating systems and privacy settings. We can group this research and technical changes under technological forces.




References

Botla, L., & Kondur, H. (2018). Sociotechnical systems of a company; The dimensionality of sociotechnical systems. 11(1), 24-26.

Mittal, R. (2019). Blackberry ltd. marketing downfall in the mobile handset industry. International Marketing, 3-5.




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