Business: Fade to Black...berry

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Fade to Black...berry

By DAVE GUSSOW
Published December 8, 2005

[AP photo]

The BlackBerry 7100t.

THE ISSUE: Research in Motion, the maker of the popular BlackBerry phone/e-mail device, has been losing a court battle with NTP, a small Virginia company that says RIM infringed on its patents. A court could rule soon and the possibility for a service shutdown exists.

THE PHENOMENON: The BlackBerry has up to 5-million mainly business users, who are sometimes called Crackberries, addicted to checking their e-mail. BlackBerry thumb has become a common injury among those frequent users who tap away on the keyboard.

THE NEXT SHOE TO DROP?: "That's the question that no one knows the answer to," said Jeff Kagan, a telecom industry analyst in Atlanta. "If I was a customer, I would be worried." RIM says it has a backup plan if it loses the suit. Some analysts are skeptical, though many doubt the system will go dark.

WHAT WILL WIRELESS CARRIERS DO?: Most won't comment specifically. "If an injunction is entered and not stayed, our BlackBerry devices (and those of our competitors) will stop working, unless and until NTP and RIM work out a settlement," said Chuck Hamby, a spokesman for Verizon Wireless. "We have a contractual commitment to continue to sell and support BlackBerry devices."

WHAT TO DO?: Kagan, who switched from the BlackBerry to a Treo a year ago, says business users in particular need to have a Plan B if mobile e-mail is vital to their operation. That means checking out alternatives sooner rather than later. Kagan encourages shoppers to hold off buying a BlackBerry for the holidays or consider another device.

WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES? The Palm Treo is one popular alternative. Most cell phones can send and receive e-mail, and some such as the LG VX9800 include a small keyboard. Personal digital assistants with Wi-Fi capabilities also may be a choice. Other new devices are expected soon, including a smart phone from Microsoft next month.