Let Apple Be Apple and Buy RIM

This thought occurred to me as I contemplated the issues facing Microsoft. As Microsoft continues to innovate and adopt HTML5, as will be discussed at DEVCON5 next week, its enterprise customers continue to prolong their adoption curve. It takes enterprises a while to embrace the change, but, even worse, it adds to a requirements list that makes Microsoft take the heat for its customers.

Meanwhile, in Apple land, the consumer is given everything on a silver platter (well mostly aluminum). With Apple, many IT execs have been frustrated by the visiting representative telling them that no specification will be considered. 

And for the short term, Apple does not see the need to consider the enterprise requirements. As I have stated in previous articles, Apple’s got two big markets it sees as blue oceans. The first is the taking over of the search requests of its existing customer base. Besides Maps, the use of Siri answers searches from internal resources. The second market is China, which indicates that growth requires massive numbers to make a dent on the percentages.

Now of course, the gap in this discussion is the iPhone 5, which has been calculated by every analyst under the sun. And, like the Facebook IPO, has everyone guessing and makes me wonder if Apple can satisfy its fans with continuing success.

And with over half a trillion dollars, what can Apple do while it is riding high?   Until recently, the analysts complained that Microsoft was more like a bank than a technology company with all its cash reserves. Now Apple looks like a country more than a company.

Friends have suggested that it should buy a carrier with the cash, but candidly, I cannot fathom how that works in the company’s interest. However, on August 16th, we are gathering to hear the argument. 

Friends in the UK have suggested that Tru, previously known as Truphone, would make them an international MVNO which would be a good choice.  However the Tru story is a good plan that lacks a cohesive piece like Facetime.

I can add another component, by bringing RIM into the mix. RIM has the precursor to Facetime in Blackberry Messenger, but RIM has done a lot of things Apple just won’t touch - enterprise control of the service, “open” call control.   It’s a platform the enterprise has already touched.

So Apple can make the choice: Take less than 1 percent of its market cap and give enterprises a story of blend, while at the same time doing a great MVNO story, or it can bank its future.

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