"RIM makes beautiful products, and Blackberry OS is simply stunning." (Screenshot by Kyle Stewart/Magnae Famae)

THE OPINION OF KYLE STEWART- Those who have been following RIM (Research in Motion) are all questioning if Thorsten Heins can really fix RIM. And now, we are here today to analyze.

IBM, sold off their Hardware business to Lenovo way back in 2005. Today, Lenovo is the #2 PC manufacturer in the world. Stunning. IBM is still quite successful with the recent fame from the IBM Watson computer that competed on Jeopardy awhile back. IBM still makes software, and I see ads for IBM in almost every issue of Maclean’s Magazine.

So, what does IBM have to do with this? Well, many annalists  have been thinking that Heins should sell off Blackberry to another Company and start only working on software. I disagree. RIM makes beautiful products, and Blackberry OS is simply stunning. iOS is even better yes. But, RIM is like Apple. They have control over the Software and the Hardware. This gives them a huge advantage over Android and Windows Phone 7. But, only if they successfully make a great OS and beautiful hardware.

Just look at RIM’s current product line! It looks great!

But can Heins keep it up?

Many shareholders and the general public were hopping for an even bigger shakeup at RIM. They needed to bring in someone completely new. And they didn’t. Heins has been working at RIM for the past 5 years. And recently as COO.

I agree. I believe that RIM should have brought in someone completely new. A tech savvy business person, who understands what Henry Ford said: “If I’d asked my customers what they wanted, they’d have said a faster horse.” Innovation is the most important thing. And Apple understands this, Microsoft knows how to copy, and add-on, and RIM use to know how to innovate. They lost it.

Heins can’t bring it back. Heins, you need to step down, and hire a person who fits the above description. I do not think that Thorsten Heins, the new CEO of Research in Motion can make Canada proud of them again.