BlackBerry not worried about iPhone

By Christelle du Toit for BlackBerry
Johannesburg, 24 Jul 2008

As SA waits eagerly for the imminent launch of the iPhone, BlackBerry has dismissed speculation that the phone might eat away its local market.

Despite the fact that the iPhone has caused pandemonium worldwide, selling a million 3G units over just one weekend, Deon Liebenberg, regional director for sub-Saharan Africa for Research in Motion (RIM) - the domestic marketer of BlackBerry - says he is not concerned.

"We welcome the competition - it brings attention to a market we charted," says Liebenberg.

His sentiments are echoed by Steven Ambrose, MD for strategy at World Wide Worx, who says the iPhone is driving awareness of what smartphones can do.

"Other manufacturers are reacting enormously quickly and someone like BlackBerry will offer a serious solution that Apple can't."

World Wide Worx MD Arthur Goldstuck agrees and points out that the two phones have very different target markets.

"The iPhone is a lifestyle phone, whereas the BlackBerry is a business tool," he says. "The iPhone is seen as an entertainment device."

Liebenberg says BlackBerry sees many opportunities in the small and medium enterprises (SME) market and will soon be going on an aggressive drive in that regard.

Vodacom is already offering a facility on its Web site to pre-order an iPhone, with options to have it on contract, prepaid, for business, or as an upgrade on an existing contract. It is also available to non-Vodacom customers.