I know you've been with RIM for a number of years, so I'm guessing you've been using a BlackBerry for some time. Have you ever used another smartphone from a RIM rival?
Yes, I absolutely do [use a BlackBerry], however, just to stay educated about the market, I always have a second device that is a competitor device so I know where I am, in terms of the competition.
What other device or other devices do you use?
I have the Samsung Galaxy S III right now.
No iPhone? You're only using an Android device?
I did iPhone already. I really go across the board, so I had an iPhone before because it was important for me to understand touch devices at the entry level. I had the Samsung Mini for a while. I change them on a pretty regular basis.
Good for you. That's not the answer I expected. If you didn't work for RIM--say you worked for another technology company--do you think you'd still be using a BlackBerry?
Yes, I think I would absolutely be on a BlackBerry. I'm really not saying this because I run BlackBerry. I belong to the tribe that BlackBerry speaks to. These productivity people, people that are always on their tippy toes, that need to keep moving. Because I don't have much time. I've never had much time in my career to get stuff done, and then you need a tool that is just extremely helpful. I wouldn't say I never do any other things, like entertainment, on a device. I love race simulation, so I'm pretty good at that. (Laughs) Formula One racing on a PC. But, I need information at my fingertips, I need it immediately. Frankly, I still love that keyboard. It just lets me type blindly, great haptic feedback. I can even talk to people while I'm typing. It's just my tool.
I also used BlackBerrys before, when I was at Siemens, I had the 87--I don't what [model] it was, it had a track wheel. And I got so excited because I could have my e-mails all the time, at any given time. It was fantastic. I still have it, by the way.
I have quite a few old BlackBerries myself.
I heard that you were a very loyal BlackBerry customer, and that you actually helped us in the early days to make an inroad into enterprise. You probably know more about our enterprise business than I do. (Laughs)
I don't know if I'd say that. But I do know a lot about your company, that's for sure. Let's move on to some questions about RIM and its place in the mobile market today. Just a few years ago, RIM was the undisputed king of the mobile market. Today, its CEO is writing editorials to convince stockholders that RIM is "not dead or dying." How did the tide turn so quickly? From your perspective, what did RIM not do that it should have done during the past few years?
There was a strategy deployed that said, let's take RIM global, and let's really go for the global smartphone market. Remember, in 2007, 2008, 2009, the market just opened up, and BlackBerry had kind of created what would later be called the smartphone segment. That meant we had to build a regional portfolio and had to really go after the market. And that led to undeniable success of the company.