Blackberry Shoots For Top Spot In Thai Market

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BlackBerry shoots for top spot in Thai market
Jirapan Boonnoon
The Nation


Benoit Nalin, BlackBerry country director for Thailand, shows the new Z10 smart phone.

BANGKOK: -- BlackBerry says it expects to gain the No 1 position in Thai mobile-phone market in three years.

The firm has introduced the BlackBerry Z10 to this market, and expects to provide new products to cover all segments by the end of the year. It also will open a BlackBerry Experience Centre to provide demonstrations and experience to users.

Benoit Nalin, the first country director for Thailand at BlackBerry, said the firm expected to be the No 1 mobile-phone manufacturer in this market within three years. To achieve this, it has three key strategies. It will provide innovative devices such as the Z10 smart phone, form strong partnerships with telecom operators to provide its new products to the market, and cooperate with local developers of mobile applications.

The Z10 is designed to run on the company's new BlackBerry 10 operating system. The company says it provides a new and unique mobile computing experience. It sells for Bt20,900.

BlackBerry will join with three local mobile operators to provide special offers in the near future. Moreover, it will officially launch the BlackBerry Experience Centre on the fifth floor of Siam Center in Bangkok this month. It plans to set up two more Experience Centres in key cities later.

Nalin said the company now had more than 10 local partners to provide mobile apps including Nation TV, Kom Chad Luek and Krungthep Turakij newspapers, and Kantana film-production company.

"Thailand is an important country for BlackBerry. It is a big market … We are looking to be No 1 in the Thai mobile market," Nalin said.

He said the company used QNX software technology in its new smart phones. QNX was the first to give drivers access to e-mail messages from Bluetooth-connected BlackBerry phones. The technology provides real-time interactivity and allows drivers to use their smart phones safely and conveniently while in their cars.

The company plans to provide new smart phones to cover all segments from entry level to the high end, with prices starting at Bt5,000. It will bring the BlackBerry Q10 and BB7 to the Thai market this year.

The BlackBerry Z10 was introduced to the global market in early January, and the company claims that it has sold more than a million units worldwide.


-- The Nation 2013-04-03

[lomatopo]

Thought this PR would have a date of April 1, 2013.

[Tywais]

Thought this PR would have a date of April 1, 2013.

Indeed.

BlackBerry’s GB market share slides despite Z10 launch

It showed that BlackBerry’s share of the OS market had fallen from 5.8

per cent for the previous three month period to the end of January, and

from 16.8 per cent a year ago.

Lost it in Indonesia also.

Dethroned by Android: Indonesia No Longer a Blackberry Nation

Indonesia is a productive market for Research in Motion (RIM). The

number of BlackBerry users in Indonesia is still very high unlike in

other countries where it has decreased drastically. However, it seems

that the BlackBerry operating system now must give up its throne to its

rival, Android.

[nikster]

In Thailand the main "problem" is that everyone has Line app. Therefore there's no need for BBM anymore, which was the only reason to get a BB.

[belg]

thais want either top end (samsung s3 - s4 / iphone) or top bottom crappy cheap phones

good luck anyway as i love (to see some) competition

[Samui Coconut]

Thought this PR would have a date of April 1, 2013.

I use Blackberry for more than 10 years, various models, so does my wife, my daughter etc. Just tried to buy a new BB on Samui coz old one got wet (can and will be fixed though). Tried Tesco, Big C etc.....only dummies available, Tesco had a 9220 in white only.....asked Telewiz and they said they will no longer carry BB, asked for Z10 and they said they don't know when.....asked for Porsche design and they never heard of it.......finally bought a Nokia for Baht 600.- and wait until old Bold is fixed. Would have bought a Z10 straight away, may be even a Porsche 9981, now reading this article in Nation and have to unfortunately agree with previous posts, press release on 1.April would have been better. Some like Apple, some like Banana, I still like Blackberry......

[MobileContent]

"Thailand is an important country for BlackBerry. It is a big market … We are looking to be No 1 in the Thai mobile market," Nalin said.

3 Months ago we cancelled our BlackBerry Mobile App store developer agreement due to low numbers of downloads, compared to iTunes and Android Play.

[lomatopo]

OK, OK, it's not an April Fool's joke, but I'm still waiting for the second part of the headline:

"BlackBerry shoots for top spot in Thai market...shoots foot instead"

or

"BlackBerry shoots for top spot in Thai market...kills self with ricocheting bullet"

Edited April 3, 2013 by lomatopo

[blueshark]

Pie in the sky. Ever heard of this: too little too late. The OS on Samsung S2 or S3 wipes the floor compared to the blackberry. The worst marketing that blackberry ever did is tell the world they are no longer investing in the consumer market and concentrating on business markets instead. Then barely 4 months later they come storming back like toilet paper in a rain storm grasping at straws clawing for a slice of the Android apple market. Who ever is in charge down at blackberry marketing central needs to be sent back to marketing college for an update on creating a basic marketing plan. Basic things like a SWOT analysis or a simple PPPP chart would spell out some simple market truths.

This has to be one of the worst commercial undertakings seen for a long time.

[IsaanUSA]

LOL, April Fools!

Is this guy for real? Has he read the reviews of his own product?