Discussion on:

Development options for the BlackBerry 10 platform

Leading up to the Blackberry 10 product launch RIM will need lots of engagement from their developers. Even that may not be enough, unfortunately. Blackberry seems to have lost the "cool factor" with consumers, with the press, and even with business leaders. (Although I would say that business leaders who are genuinely tech savvy are probably more willing to give Blackberry a chance.)

To me it's kind of sad and scary that control of corporate tech is being handed over to non-professionals - "the consumerization of I.T.". We are seeing the corporate world adopt and allow some truly horrifying practices from a security and manageability perspective. I can only imagine what the fallout will be when vulnerability exploits start to become widespread. A lot of personal devices are now connected to banking, government, defense and other critical systems that should have much better security.

Anyway, in the case of RIM, I wish them all the best. Their products could fill a much needed role in the enterprise, just as iPhone, iPad, and Android have their place.

One final thought... Some reports have been critical of RIM because their announced product launch for Blackberry 10 will miss the Christmas buying cycle. I don't think that's really a significant factor for the company's strategy. I can just imagine the eye roll when some teenager discovers a brand new Blackberry under the Christmas tree!