The demand for BlackBerry is much wider than corporates and techies, and marketing will soon target the 'average` South African.
So says Autopage`s new VAS product manager Michelle Hutchinson, who believes local demand is higher than people might think. "Most network providers have underestimated the South African capacity for new technology.
"We think the BlackBerry has become a necessity. In New York it is called a 'Crackberry` because it is addictive like a drug."
The device is still an easier sell at corporate level, but the 'average` South African is ready, says Autopage MD Stephen Blewett. "So far it hasn`t been marketed at individual consumers, but we are going to start."
One of the key barriers to commercial uptake is that the device requires a change in user habits, he says. "It`s a move from the ear to the eye. Portable devices like cellphones are mainly used with the ear, and after 10 years people are in the habit of using things in this way."
BlackBerry and other portable devices are now more eye-centric, as they offer functions like e-mail and video conferencing.
People will need to change their usage habits, which could mean a degree of hesitance, he says. "It`s happening all over the world and we need to get used to it or risk being left behind."
Another possible barrier is the danger of overselling the device, says Blewett. "Our industry is notorious for doing this. BlackBerry is not a laptop, and it`s not going to make your coffee for you."
The device carries a price tag of between R3 000 and R4 000, but consumers are most likely to get the device on contract. This will most likely cost in the region of R159 per month for a basic offering, up to R279 per month for a top of the range offering, says Hutchinson.
"You will most likely see the BlackBerry being offered on top of an existing phone contract, so people will pay a little more every month and use both the BlackBerry and their phone. We think this will help consumers adapt to the idea of using their phone less and less, until they are comfortable with just the BlackBerry."
Autopage corporate affairs head Juanita Barnard believes there is a fashion element associated with the device, which means the youth market could be a potential target. "It will be interesting to see who starts to market it at teens, as I think it will pick up quickly there because they are so adept at making use of the functionality of new devices."
Should the device prove popular, Blewett believes it could prove the end of SMS. "Why will kids want to send a cumbersome SMS, when they can send a more detailed e-mail that will cost less?"
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