What is your current revenue share in the Indian market
and expansion plans?
BlackBerry has done very well in the Indian market and we intend to continue the
growth story. The smartphone market is expected to grow at 60% a year, and we
will try and get the biggest growth share in thi. Currently, we are very happy
with our investment in the Indian market. We launched 10.5 mn handsets last
year, with 50 mn subscribers worldwide in a 50:50 ratio for enterprise/retail.
We will also continue to innovate and localize content to have more growth in
India.
With the number of cheaper handsets for both 2G and 3G
flooding the market, as well as the Lemon IQ being a replica of the BlackBerry
at half the price, do you plan to reduce the cost of your smart phone?
There will be many who will try to offer imitations of BlackBerry services
and features, but time will tell about the quality differentiation. For emerging
markets, we are looking to grow our subscriber base by continuing to offer
unmatched services, which we believe customers will be willing to pay for.The
BBMe messenger service is free and offers unique services, which are
increasingly being preferred over other IM clients across the world because of
the speed and other features.
You have launched BlackBerry Pearl 3G in India with two
keypads. What are some of the other localized features you will introduce for
this market?
Regarding the aim to grow our presence in India, it is important to cater to
the local needs. Thus, we have introduced a host of applications in Hindi and
local languages, Hungama India radio and the facility to download thousands of
regional language songs or videos at the touch of a button. We are also looking
to develop more localized applications in the coming months.
Most industry experts believe that 3G will be used more
for voice rather than for data. Will this also be the case for the BlackBerry?
No, I believe this will not be the case as we already have Edge to take care
of the voice requirements. Data will surpass voice in 3G; and since we are
already the fastest in data services, 3G will only provide us further leverage
to be a market leader. We are also keen on introducing 4G applications as soon
as this technology comes to India.
The launch of the Apple iPhone was announced just days
before your announcement to launch the BlackBerry Pearl 3G in the market. How do
you deal with such competition, and are apps stores the solution to this?
Currently, we have tie-ups with nine operators in India, and all our
products, including the BlackBerry Pearl 3G will be available on these networks
across India. Besides, we also have 2,000 points of sale. We do not believe in
apps stores, as we have sufficient channel partners and distributors, and our
products are very well known and easy-to-use. As far as competition is
concerned, the main thing that separates us is our innovation, localization and
market sensitivity, as well as unmatched speed and efficiency of push mail and
other applications. Our constant innovation, new product launches and
established partners globally will also give us an edge in the smartphones
market.
Beryl M
berylm@cybermedia.co.in