Main image of article Most BlackBerry Business Users May Walk Away Next Year
Blackberry Bold Touch 9930It’s news to chill the blood of RIM executives: A broad study of end users and IT decision makers by consulting firm Enterprise Management Associates found that up to 60 percent of BlackBerry users at small businesses will exchange their phones over the next 12 months for something else. So will 30 percent of users at larger companies. The report found that 52 percent of BlackBerry users at enterprises of 10,000 employees or more use the devices for work. But only 36 percent plan to stick with them for the next year. At businesses with under 500 employees, 16 percent use a BlackBerry now, but only 7 percent plan to next year. So it's no surprise that only 16 percent of respondents are “completely satisfied” with their device, compared to 44 percent for iPhone users and 34 percent for Android customers. "We noted several cases where end users were carrying two smartphones: a BlackBerry for work and another type of phone for their personal purposes," an EMA representative said. "They don't want to use the BlackBerry for personal reasons. But, who really wants to carry around two smartphones?" Over the next year, half of small business smartphone users plan to use the Android platform, while 29 percent say they'll use an iPhone. You can purchase the complete $795 report here.