RIM’s failures in the smartphone market have largely occurred because of the consumerization of IT. The New Yorker recently took a look at why this has happened and what it means:

• R.I.M.’s devices became popular because of their appeal to corporate IT departments. Blackberry phones offered reliability and security that corporations could easily control.
• This made a lot of sense because the demand for a lot of the most advanced technology has been driven by corporations over the years. Examples include: telephones, the internet, and personal computers.
• The trend over the last decade however has been the consumerization of IT. Employees bring in the technology they prefer to use and businesses adapt to suit them.
• Corporations have allowed for this trend partly because it means that employees stay connected with their workplace for longer periods including weekends. It also reduces costs since employers no longer have to provide the technology.

To read more about RIM’s failings as well as some other technologies that were adapted by consumers rather than businesses, click here.

Source: The New Yorker

Via: The Economist