Group 1: Blackberry: The Universal Link Between Business and Entertainment. Cheng Cynthia Sin Yee, Hamill Jay Daniel, Kim Myung Woo, Miletic Marija, Sunstrum Scotford, Drews Melinda

Introduction
Communication has always been a vital element of humanity, and as we move forward into the 21st century, the ability to do so has been made easier. The invention of the telephone allowed people talk to each other directly. The later invention of the internet meant that people could contact one another throughout the work by email and various forms of web-based chat rooms. Communication was continuously improving; making it more effortless, inexpensive, and less time consuming. BlackBerry phones were the next revolutionary step in communication technology. They incorporated all the basic needs of a handheld telephone, with the added installments of email, organizers, maps, applications, games, and most significant, access to the internet.

History
In 1984, Research in Motion (RIM) was founded in Waterloo, Ontario, by Mike Lazaridis and Douglas Fregin. They came together and began to look into advancing wireless networks, and were the second in the world to develop products for the Mobitex network. This was a major feat as it was the first network which would eventually be used by the first two-way pager. Lazaridis and Fregin then went on to produce the first Mobitex Mobile Point-of-sale Terminal, in 1994. They manufactured their own wireless terminal, which was more beneficial for RIM than using a separate company; it allowed them to manage according to their needs. They were able to integrate their own hardware, software, and services which would add to their advancements in communication products.

1996 lead to the production of the first two-way messenger pager by RIM, Inter@ctive Pager (RIM900). It was revolutionary; people could send faxes and voice-notes to land phones, they could receive person-to-person messages, and they also had some access to HTML files. The RIM900 was the first of its kind, and it gave way to new ideas and possibilities. The first BlackBerry was produced in 1999 with the same hardware that had been used to develop the RIM900. It was a new tool designed with the business elite in mind, as it incorporated email. This is BlackBerry’s most recognized feature; it allowed access to personal and corporate email anywhere and everywhere. The term ‘crackberry’ was soon after coined, referring to people’s addiction to having constant email checking and sending ability. The Mobile Data Service was developed in 2002, and this was important because it allowed access to international corporate information. It also gave way to various applications which can be included in BlackBerry. The 5000 and 6000 series were the first to use Java to transmit information over the G2 network. Later models (7000 series) were the first phones on the market that had a color screen when accessing the internet. Since RIM was founded in 1984, they have continued to manufacture and develop products that are ahead of rival companies. The BlackBerry series is now one of the leading wireless phones sold, with 14 million being distributed within the last three and a half years. Although many wireless phones now have the ability to access the internet, BlackBerry continues to step ahead, with new features and applications which can be added to make life easier. BlackBerry has made is possible to stop buying multiple gadgets like media players and voice recorders; they have incorporated everything someone could need into one mobile device. The phone which was developed for business executives is just as useful for the small-time business man and student. The ability to access email accounts and the internet, organizational applications, and an easy messaging system has made BlackBerry the forerunner in wireless handheld devices.

Newest Models

 * The BlackBerry Pearl was the cell phone that started the younger generations addiction to BlackBerries. It was geared towards a younger crowd, which is seen through its sleek and stylish build. It is an 8100 series, consisting of four different phones with slightly different features. The 8100 is the earliest model which has the least features, and the 8130 is the latest which has features such as GPS capabilities, and video recording. The Pearl is made in a broad variety of colors. The Pearl Flip 8200 series is similar to the original pearl, just in a flip phone style.


 * The BlackBerry Curve came after the Pearl. The first series was the 8300 which consisted of five phones, followed by the 8900 series. The 8900 series is a twist on the original Curve because it is a more modern looking phone and has improved features such as a better camera, and 480 x 360 pixels, as opposed to the 8300’s 320 x 240 pixels.


 * The BlackBerry Bold has a very elegant design that is suitable for all types of people. Whether the phone is for recreational or business use, it has enough features to satisfy both purposes. However this phone is a little bigger and heavier then the curve, and it has a slightly shorter battery life (4.5 hours talk time for the Bold and 5.5 for the Curve).


 * The BlackBerry Storm is the latest edition to the BlackBerry family. It is currently competing on the market with the iPhone since they are the most popular touch screen phones. The 3.2 Mega pixel camera on the Storm is one of the best along with the Curve 8900 camera. It has the highest screen display at 480 x 360 pixels. This is a major change for the BlackBerry technology since this is the first touch screen phone they have created.

Technical Specifications
- * = hot swappable

Impact on Business


In the ever-changing world of business, the Blackberry or “Smart phone” is known to be the most successful breakthrough within the business world. Not only has it provided more convenience for businessmen on the go, as well it has become the most commonly used phone for business solutions. In all fields of business ranging from real estate, insurance, financial services to enterprise and government, the Blackberry impacts the workforce by allowing businesses to connect and work together from any place at any given time. Having the advantages of the applications of internet/intranet access, instant messaging, email, and special enterprise software that can be added, the Blackberry has all the ideal tools and applications necessary for the business world to efficiently and conveniently make business decisions.

The Blackberry is the device that helps the business world continuously move forward. An Ipsos Reid study showed that most Blackberry users successfully turned one hour of downtime into productive work time every day while increasing the efficiency of a team by nearly 30%. Along with improving the productivity of business, it also allows for better time management in making decisions and improving customer satisfaction by having the ability to respond quickly.



In the most recent update, even governments have chosen the Blackberry to be the most chosen reliable mobile device to carry around. The security that is made available to government officials is made to meet strict government confidentiality and security requirements for data access as well ensuring that officials can feel confident and secure when sending and receiving sensitive information on the go. Though the use of such strict security and a password, the Blackberry ensures government officials with a worry free environment when sending confidential data. The impact of the blackberry on the government can most clearly be seen with the example of Obama, the US president and his fight for the ability to keep using his blackberry.

As a result, the Blackberry Smartphone has become one of the most commonly used mobile device amongst all business and government people. Now with the breakthrough of technology, the Blackberry has provided the business world with a more efficient and convenient ways of communication.

Impact on Youth


RIM first designed BlackBerry’s with the business man in mind, however, they are beginning to widen their market and have started a campaign directed towards the youth. Selling to a younger market would mean a higher profit for the company, as today’s youth are usually the forerunner in new technology; they like to have what’s new as soon as it arrives. RIM recognises this and they have been working for the past three years to come up with something “youth friendly”. What they developed was the BlackBerry Pearl 8100, a phone meant to target the fun-loving youth with its candy bar style. It is the company’s first multimedia device; it rolls an MP3 player, camera, data applications and voice recorders all into one sleek phone. A second appeal is that it is slimmer than most other phones on the market; it can fit easily into the back pocket of your jeans.

The Pearl 8100 has expandable memory, which is a first for BlackBerry. In today’s generation of ipods and palm pilots, BlackBerry has the ability to stand tall with this new addition. People can fit their music, calendar, phonebook and email into one device; they no longer have the need to carry around multiple pieces of equipment. Teenagers can take pictures and shoot video footage at every party they go to. And with the facebook craze encouraging the sharing of each other’s lives, being able to do everything from one device makes it a popular seller. It also comes with its very own form of communication, BlackBerry Messenger. This application allows people to chat with other BlackBerry owners for free; there are no costs attached like there are to regular text messages.

Other companies have started following BlackBerry’s lead and are also reaching out to the youth. A UK based company, Leapfrog, has developed a tool similar to the BlackBerry, but it is aimed at children three years and up. It can connect to the internet where they can access games which teach them how to spell and text. It is meant to encourage computer use and skills.

BlackBerry’s are continuing to sell and at higher demands. While other companies have been developing similar devices, such as the iPhone by Apple Inc. BlackBerry has been able to stay ahead. One of the newest phone’s by BlackBerry, the BlackBerry Bold, was developed for the University student in mind. Its “Bold” new look makes it the “sexy secretary” of smartphones, something that can be very appealing to the young adult.

Today’s youth are alongside the business majors when it comes to technology. They know as much about new arrivals in technology as their parents, perhaps more. This puts them in the perfect market for companies such as RIM, who have already conquered the older generation. By changing a few applications and adding new appeals, BlackBerry has made the technical connection between the business person and the teenager.

Advantages & Disadvanges
Advantages
 * Longer battery life then most other handheld devices
 * Very durable, it is very unlikely the phone will break even if it has fallen to the ground
 * The battery can be taken out for long periods of time and the data in the phone will be saved without having to backup the data
 * The wireless cable/DSL connection is always on, it never needs to be connected
 * Large amounts of software are available on the phones such as scientific calculators, photo viewers, word processors, and many different chat programs
 * Most stable device for receiving wireless emails, and the emails are received very quickly
 * Many benefits for the Deaf and for Hard Of Hearing people such as the voicemail with automatic voice to text converter, as well as stronger vibrate alerts then most other phones
 * It is very easy to use, you do not need to have IT knowledge to use these phones
 * BlackBerry messenger allows you to send and receive unlimited amounts of messages all over the world for free

Advantage & Disadvantages
Disadvantages
 * They are expensive
 * Not that strong for multimedia purposes
 * There were not as many specialized applications for BlackBerry, but there was recently an application store opened up
 * The Blackberry has only some PDA abilities.
 * BlackBerry messenger can only be used if you know the other persons pin, and only if they are using a BlackBerry as well
 * Closed infrastructure, if RIM was to have glitches then the functionality of the phone would suffer as well
 * Pocket PC and XDA are more flexible to work with