Quote from The Globe and Mail article[1] I read earlier:<p><pre><code> "...new chief executive officer says the company is doing
everything right and does not need a change in
strategy..."
</code></pre>
oh boy!<p>[1] <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/at-research-in-motion-a-new-ceo-vows-to-silence-the-doomsayers/article2310968/" rel="nofollow">http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/at-researc...</a>
Official press release:<p><a href="http://press.rim.com/release.jsp?id=5358" rel="nofollow">http://press.rim.com/release.jsp?id=5358</a><p>and more info:<p><a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/jim-balsillie-mike-lazaridis-out-thorsten-heins-in-as-new-rim-ceo/article2311029/" rel="nofollow">https://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/jim-balsillie...</a>
Too little too late? If we start seeing tons of "expense cutting" measures with no innovation, they need to<p>a) hire from the outside for a fresh perspective<p>or<p>b) get acquired
Perhaps Ballmer will step aside at Microsoft for Qi Lu, next?<p>HP would be the other company in my "management-impaired former titans" portfolio which might benefit from a change (they'll probably want to wait a bit, and Meg Whitman is definitely an improvement over some of their other CEOs.)
I could see this company earning a spot in future versions of 'In Search of Stupidity'. (If you don't know the book, don't knock what I'm saying before you read it. It's one of my favorite reads about high tech business)
According to the press release, they are also out as co-chairs of the board.<p>Lazaridis is becoming Vice Chair (whatever that means) and Balsillie is retaining his seat but will be stripped of all titles.
The fact that it took this long for the CEO's to step down reflects the extreme arrogance of this company. I've attended a few RIM-sponsored events in the Waterloo, and it's downright shocking how cocky the reps and developers are. RIM appears to be living in its own little tech bubble, blissfully ignorant that pretty much everywhere else in the first world owns or will own an iPhone.<p>This company makes a lot of money, they still have a lot of marketshare, but there's no question they are in a serious downdraft. It would be completely normal for any company in this situation to put itself up for sale. I'm a little surprised Google choose to buy Motorola Mobility rather than RIM, given that RIM has a lower market value and has more attractive assets.<p>Regardless of what it says in the press I imagine finding a potential acquirer of the company will be the first task of the new CEO.