BlackBerry Battle Opens Doors for Competitors

As the BlackBerry barge continues to take on water during RIM’s ongoing patent battle with NTP, more and more sharks are drawn to the surrounding swells in hopes of salvaging whatever they may of the company’s loyal user base.

It’s true, the majority of analyst and competitors alike don’t see a BlackBerry blackout happening any time soon, but the patent battle has spotlighted a number of alternatives to RIM’s popular handheld.

Just one year ago there were barely any products on the market that compared with RIM’s BlackBerrys.  This is no longer the case.

According to Clyde Foster, COO at Intellisync, a wireless e-mail firm that was recently purchased by Nokia, the rest of the handheld market is not only catching up with RIM, these companies are offering better prices on a wider array of products, Reuters reports.

“That general change in the market has had a lot of people thinking about alternatives.  On top of that, you have the scrutiny over the court case.  For us, it’s a benefit that it’s happening now,” said Foster.  He noted that inquires about the companies products and services have skyrocketed over the past two months.

Sales at Good Technology, RIM’s biggest competitor in the software space, have also been booming.

“Our business in general has been growing, but the litigation has certainly helped,” said Danny Shader, CEO of Good Technology.  “It’s changed the profile of some accounts that were previously absolutely committed to RIM, who now seem absolutely committed to replacing them, or at least not relying on them.”

Regardless, RIM is still the king of the hill in the wireless e-mail market with about 4.3 million BlackBerry subscribers in a space of roughly 6 million.

Check out BlackBerry on the Edge for ongoing CIO coverage.

-Al Sacco