Any market share that BlackBerry lost in the Caribbean over the last year or so is expected to be regained when the new BlackBerry 10 devices become available in the region in early April, says a company official.
Speaking in New York following last week’s global launch of the new operating system, director for the Caribbean Sean Killen said he anticipated that the Z10 and Q10 devices would represent the biggest mobile launch in the history of the Caribbean.
“BlackBerry over the last several years has really indicated someone who has made it, who was really successful, and it was something people aspired to – to own a BlackBerry.
“I think in the last year that image has suffered due to a lack of a high-end product that people were really excited about. I think the Z10 re-establishes that,” he said.
The fully touchscreen Z10 along with the Q10 which features touch as well as a physical keyboard will be the first two phones to run the completely redesigned system.
“We ate a bit of crow over the past year where we haven’t given the people the product they wanted. They’ve been asking for more,” Killen said.
Despite this the director noted that over the last two years the Caribbean had made a name for itself within the global operation as an “amazing little stronghold that we’ve held onto”.
International analysts say the appeal of the new operating system could determine whether the firm – which has switched its name from Research In Motion to BlackBerry – has a long-term future after a difficult period.
Chief executive officer Thorsten Heins, who named Grammy Award-winning singer Alicia Keys as the company’s global creative director, explained that the name change would consolidate the company’s brand into a single cohesive global presence.
He said Keys, who is also a songwriter and entrepreneur, would lead an array of new business initiatives designed to drive engagement with BlackBerry and perception of the brand.
She will work closely with app developers, content creators, retailers, carriers and the entertainment community to further shape and enhance the BlackBerry 10 platform.
