[Good_Guy]

Originally Posted by BES admin

I think you misunderstood: I wasn't intending to imply that all non BB devices were the only "toys." I include BB as a must have toy for some people.

As for Goodlink for the consumer... More specifically I mean that people who have non BB devices as personal PDA's can now bring them to work and use, what I consider a consumer gadget, in the workplace. The target for Goodlink is these devices and as such is a target to the Joe consumer who wants to use their new toy at work.

I compeltely disagree. I have sold installations of 250, 275, 500 and 450 brand new GoodLink Treos into corporations where the companies purchased them, not where they were brought in from people who had purchased them.

BB isn't exempt from the same analogy, however, I think it is much less likely that a general consumer is interested in the BB as a toy. I know from consulting outside of my regular work that the general consumer believes BB to be a business tool and non BB devices are more for personal use. This is just based on my contact with the non-business customers I have and is certainly not a scientifically gathered statistic. I have a 14 year old neice who wants a Treo because her friends have them, I suggested BB and she had no interest in it. In other words, it's the Treo, not the BB, which has more of a status appeal to teens. This group typically is into fads, and as such, underscores my point about non BB devices.

I, again, disagree. All the Hollywood 'stars' with their Blackberries, Oprah's favorite thing, these are NOT business users nor how business users gauge their technology decisions. I have not seen a single promo where carriers are giving away Treo's. I have seen countless where they are giving away Blackberries. Consumer pitch and I dare say, the carriers know their market better than anyone.

I'm sorry, but I just don't see Goodlink paired with wireless PDAs as a practical tool for the business world. I think once RIM bails itself out of the mess with NTP, the market will see an increase in sales.

Sales have slowed for the last two quarters and this was without the NTP overhang. Face it, BB was the ONLY player in town in this space and that is no longer the case and will only get worse as new devices, targetted at businesses, not consumers, are released. Nokia is not targetting the consumer with the E61. The Moto Q is not a consumer device. RIMM built the market. Now, there are much bigger organizations that want a piece. They make the hardware and Good makes the software.

I think of the two in this way:

1. RIM is to the real world what PC's are to the real world: A tool which owns 80% of the market becuase of it's simplicity and acceptance as a business tool as well as a supportable option.

2. Goodlink is to the real world what Macintosh is to the real world: A fad which fits a niche, has a following, and will remain in business if they continue to be innovative.

Some of this is just my Opinion, and as such, is biased heavily towards RIM, but I think there is a lot of truth to it as well.

The analogy you make regarding Mac is true, althought I am of the opinon you have them backwards. RIMM, with its proprietary solution is the Macintosh. Apple had 60% of the PC market at one time and then got crushed by solutions based upon industry standards.