Research in Motion continues to move ahead with preparations for its January 30, 2013 launch of BlackBerry 10 and its new devices. To further that effort RIM announced today, the availability of its "BlackBerry 10 Ready Program." This is a critical step not only for RIM but for RIM's customers. How quickly enterprises move to adopt the program in order to prepare for the launch date will be a strong indicator of just how well RIM is likely to do going forward with the new software technology and hardware. Soft or very soft interest, most emphatically not what RIM is hoping for here.
To date most of RIM's efforts have targeted the independent development community - it is key to RIM's hoped for success to have a critical mass of mobile apps available during launch - and so far the company looks to be winning the battle on that front. Now it needs to turn its attention specifically to its core enterprise market.
The new program is specifically designed to address the needs of existing BlackBerry enterprise customers as they prepare their environments for the launch of BlackBerry 10 and the new BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10, RIM’s new multiplatform enterprise mobility management solution. The program will be introduced in a phased approach.
The program has four distinct components, two of which - The BlackBerry 10 Ready Offer and the BlackBerry 10 Ready Webcast Series - are available today. The BlackBerry Enterprise Server License Trade Up and BlackBerry 10 Readiness Services components will be available ahead of the global BlackBerry 10 launch on January 30, 2013.
BlackBerry 10 Ready Offer
BlackBerry customers with BlackBerry Technical Support at the Advantage level or higher are now eligible to receive a free BlackBerry 10 smartphone. Customers will need to install and run BlackBerry Mobile Fusion (which will be succeeded by BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10), and successfully complete an exclusive online learning course to qualify. Upon the launch of BlackBerry 10, the organization will receive a free BlackBerry 10 smartphone.
BlackBerry 10 Webcast Series
The weekly BlackBerry 10 webcast series is designed to share information, answer questions about RIM’s enterprise product portfolio, and prepare enterprise customers with the tools they need ahead of launch. The webcasts will be supported in multiple languages.
Bryan Lee, senior director, enterprise at RIM underscores RIM's goals: "We remain committed to our enterprise customers and want to provide them with a head start on understanding the power of BlackBerry 10 and preparing their existing environments for the new mobile computing platform. The BlackBerry 10 Ready Program - both through what is being made available today, and through what we will offer early in January 2013, gives customers access to a variety of services, information, tools, and special offers to help ease their transition to BlackBerry 10 and BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10.”
BlackBerry Enterprise Server License Trade Up
RIM will be offering customers who purchase BlackBerry 10 smartphones the ability to trade up their existing BlackBerry Enterprise Server licenses on a one for one basis for free, until December 31, 2013. The license trade up offer will allow customers to secure and manage their BlackBerry 10 smartphones with BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10. Customers will be able to access an online tool for the BlackBerry Enterprise Server License Trade Up in January 2013.
BlackBerry 10 Readiness Services
This set of services will provide customers with a smooth migration path to BlackBerry 10. Change management and planning migration tools, and application development services will be available in January 2013.
We continue to wish RIM well in its upcoming launch. We absolutely believe that a strong RIM is good for the overall health of the market, and we look forward to seeing RIM successfully implement the enterprise program. For more details customers can email RIM directly at [email protected].
Edited by
Amanda Ciccatelli 
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