BlackBerry smartphones carry a certain connotation with them – they say “I mean business and get things done,” and this is apparently very much the case at the World Economic Forum late last week in Davos, Switzerland, according to Business Insider UK’s Jim Edwards.
The preferred modus operandi for power players attending this prestigious annual event was the two-phone combination of iPhone and BlackBerry, observed Edwards.
BlackBerry had “massive market share” in Davos, wrote Edwards, who interviewed one executive from a major U.S. investment bank who, like “a lot of people here are conspicuously carrying two phones: an iPhone and a BlackBerry . . . The guy [told me] the company still preferred its employees to use the BlackBerry because its security is superior to that of iPhone or Android.”
Edwards also noted that “UK Chancellor George Osborne uses a BlackBerry, too — he walked right by me, talking on it.”
If You’re Important, You “Need a Phone with a Real Keyboard” in Davos
While the iPhone seemed the device du jour for much of the crowd, “the BlackBerry is everywhere, too,” he says.
Wrote Edwards: “In an odd way, rocking the iPhone-BlackBerry combo is a way to send a huge signal about your status: Yes, you have the expensive new phone from Apple that everyone wants. But you’re so busy, so important, that you also need a phone with a real keyboard.”
As confirmation of this theory, Edwards spoke with “a member of the board of directors for a Middle Eastern central bank [who] told me the keyboard was what kept him with BlackBerry. He isn’t just responding to emails with ‘OK’ or ‘Tx.’ He’s typing long memos to staff and colleagues.”
Yes, BlackBerry keyboards are the best for that sort of thing, aren’t they?
Edwards continues: “An executive at a major aerospace manufacturer was rocking the big, square BlackBerry Passport that my colleague Mike Bird loves so much. I asked him why: security. His IT department requires BlackBerry for its employees because of the security,” which is what the first exec he’d spoken with had said as well.
Additionally, as Edwards notes, BBM “has, historically, been the preferred messaging service of many corporate IT departments.”
Again, it comes down to security. There’s no getting around that point.
Not a One-Trick Pony
If Edwards were to dig a little deeper, he might find that beyond the “status symbol” of the BlackBerry devices lies a bevy of honest-to-goodness breakthrough productivity features that business professionals actually need.
Yes, there’s the bedrock security that is intrinsic to everything BlackBerry does, but there are also only-on-BlackBerry features such as BlackBerry Blend, allowing BlackBerry devices to seamlessly interact and integrate with a PC or Mac while leaving nothing behind after disconnecting, or the Hub, which allows for the total mastery over of all your emails, social messages, calls and texts.
There’s also BlackBerry Assistant which takes voice commands to a new level with deep integration with native apps, BlackBerry Balance’s unique personal and work spaces, BBM with its text, voice and video call functionality, and the combination of BlackBerry World and the Amazon (Android) Appstore for an awesome mix of productivity and entertainment apps.
All of this is ready for any power player anywhere in the world.
Show Your Status with the BlackBerry Passport and Classic
You can get your factory-unlocked BlackBerry Passport from ShopBlackBerry.com at these links:
Black (currently $599, regular $699)
White (currently $599, regular $699)
…and at Amazon:
Black: (currently $577.99, regular $699)
White: (currently $577.99, regular $699)
Limited Edition Red: $699.99
Or go for the BlackBerry Classic:
Customers with a North American shipping address can purchase the BlackBerry Classic online today through Amazon.com and ShopBlackBerry for $449 in the U.S. and $499 in Canada. It is also being offered by AT&T, Verizon, Bell Mobility, Rogers Wireless and TELUS. Read this blog for the latest availability by country. (Note that pricing differs per market.)
Either choice will take your productivity game to the next level – something actually worth showing off.
