Research In Motion (RIM) CEOs Step Down: 7 Significant Milestones In BlackBerry Maker's Decline

Research in Motion (RIM) announced on Sunday that Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis, the company's co-CEOs, had resigned from their positions and that Thorsten Heins, who's worked at RIM since 2007, is now the company's new CEO.

Many believe the company, responsible for the development and manufacture of BlackBerry software and hardware, needs to adopt a radical new approach to survive. For example, Certain investors recently urged the company to sell itself, either as a whole or in parts. As CEO, Heins may not bring that kind of sweeping change.

During his first conference call as CEO on Monday, Heins hinted at his plan for the company's future. "I don't think there is some drastic change needed," Heins said during the call. "We are evolving. We're evolving our strategy, we're evolving our tactics, our processes."

Beset with problems in the past year, RIM's stock has plunged, its market share is crumbling under heavy competition from iPhone and Android handset platforms, and its upcoming hardware and software, on which may hinge the company's future in the consumer space, have already been delayed enough to worry investors and customers alike.

How did the tide turn so abruptly on the formerly number-one smartphone platform in the U.S.? Check out our slideshow (below) to see 7 of RIM's biggest setbacks over the past year. Vote for the one you think is the worst, and let us know in the comments what you think the future holds for Research In Motion. Read on to learn more about the company's new CEO, and see how Twitter reacted to news of the shakeup.

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Comments

[Michael Falcon]

02:46 AM on 01/26/2012

It was a shi*****y phones! I had to replace mine 3 times.

[democles]

10:48 AM on 01/25/2012

At one large unnamed investment firm in NYC, the company gave out BB to all the employees. 95% of them are now, on their own dimes on iPhones, Droids and iPads. The BBs get thrown in a drawer and forgotten.

[NerdyStudent]

09:04 AM on 01/25/2012

BLAMO!

Nothing to add.

[TravlRN6]

08:05 AM on 01/25/2012

After 4 years on Blackberry and now a little over a year with a droid I would NEVER EVER EVER go back to BB!! I spent 95% of my BB life pulling battery, fixing crap trackballs, paying thru the nose and getting absolutely nothing done! In the year I have had my droid not one malfunction, not one technical problem, not one pulled battery, not one penny paid out of pocket for service "extras" BB is done as they should be!!

[Gronkie]

11:06 PM on 01/25/2012

My experience exactly. I love my droid and I cursed my BB a thousand times a day. I literally had to pull the battery 5-10 times a day. RIMM deserves to go out of business.

[Tmus82]

11:44 PM on 01/24/2012

Blackberry sucks big time! It's science.

[sifc33]

05:39 AM on 01/25/2012

They are SSOOOO WHACK!! I laugh so much when I see older dudes, and sometimes ladies, whip out their bbs like they are awesomesauce. Then my iphone just completely obliterates. The only reason they are still around is because our awesome govt gave them the contract for our smartphones. I really get embarrassed for people who still have them.

[Christian Figueroa]

11:15 PM on 01/24/2012

Blackberry should have just gone android with special servers for it's email hosting. (similar to iMessage). It could have put its time and energy into forging stronger email/messaging hosting and better blackberry phones.

[Rich Cash]

10:09 PM on 01/24/2012

BB was dominant for so long, it thought it had a lock on the market. Anyone remember Wordstar or Wordperfect?

[sogden]

08:41 PM on 01/24/2012

Okay, I had a droid. It was so overly complicated. So I bought an iphone but had so many issues with outlook 7, not syncing complete addresses then it deleted all my contacts in outlook. I'm taking it back and can't wait to get a BB again! A good phone that you can depend on.

[jdmn17]

09:32 PM on 01/24/2012

You must work for RIM - my iphone replaced my BB and I've never been happier - and I don't work for Apple,

[sogden]

09:39 PM on 01/24/2012

I don't work for RIM, Ive just had a lot of trouble trying to sync outlook 2007 with the iphone.

[Rich Cash]

10:08 PM on 01/24/2012

You should take a look at Windows Phone 7. It's made to sync with Outlook and all the entire Office suite. I have one, and couldn't be happier.

[sifc33]

05:45 AM on 01/25/2012

Got my mom a Windows phone, bc she still wanted a key pad and didn't want a complete touch-screen (which is why we didnt get her an iphone). She loves it, they are great phones. I know cool story bro.

[Justice Goodyear]

08:37 PM on 01/24/2012

10 years ago RIM had a chance to become the status quo mobile email that went into every PDA in the world. Instead they decided to become a hardware company. Each major company developed their own "push" email system and the rest is history. Had RIM licensed their email software system to all PDA makers they would be the Microsoft of PC operating systems.

[Greg Toney]

07:33 PM on 01/24/2012

The press used to say Apple was finished.

[Justice Goodyear]

08:40 PM on 01/24/2012

Apple has done it again just like in the early 1980s. The iPhone closed architecture is going to lose marketshare over time. Android will eventually be the standard. Congratulations to Apple for today's numbers and by the way I love my iPhone but Android is already gaining momentum. It only a matter of time.

[jdmn17]

09:33 PM on 01/24/2012

They've said that too many times about Apple and it's still here and getting stronger all the time -you see their earnings?

[democles]

07:23 PM on 01/24/2012

Blackberry? What is that?

[sifc33]

05:47 AM on 01/25/2012

I think it's a fruit of some sort, if memory serves me correctly a steak house in Auburn Alabama has some of the best blackberry cobbler on the planet. Good Ole Boys, ask for it there.

[Bucket-Of-Love]

06:04 PM on 01/24/2012

Investors quickly signaled their lack of confidence with the change in management and with what Heins said by selling the stock.The interview he did with CNBC the morning of the switch -- real wonky guy and wonky approach, a total snoozefest! A competitive platform (Blackberry 10) not being released until the end of 2012! How does BB possibly keep up with iPhone and Android? Or is it a given that trying to keep up in that way is the wrong move. I don't see how turnaround is going to occur on the basis of their smartphone business.

[Justice Goodyear]

08:41 PM on 01/24/2012

They had a chance to be a software company (providing mobile email) and instead became a hardware company. They are done.

[Vincent Gormley]

05:50 PM on 01/24/2012

They first need to focus on fixing glitches for example my Blackberry times out at an incredibly annoying rate, it simply can not multi task no matter what RIM claims. Also they need to make there products Adobe Flash compatible and battery time needs to be increased. I spend way too much time plugged in. That would be a start.

[vaeho]

05:15 PM on 01/24/2012

when the hp hall moniters reject something will they please say why?

[vaeho]

05:13 PM on 01/24/2012

don't trash blackberry, they are secure tran\smitters of data