Comparison between RIM's Business Enterprise Solution and Funambol in B2B Market

This ROA Group white paper analyzes the reason behind push email solution and examines BlackBerry architecture as well as Funambol, an open source solution that provides a competitive alternative for proprietary solutions.

1. Comparison between RIM and Funambol Research In Motion (RIM) is well-known as a smartphone manufacturer, but its real competitiveness lies in its proprietary B2B solution that offers a total solution for corporate customers, enabling email and other related IT infrastructure to be run on mobile network.

Similarly, the competitiveness of Apple with its iPhone and iPod is not only based on offering an excellent device, but creating a customer experience that combines Music contents - iTunes - Wired network - iPod all way through the C-P-N-T (content - platform - network - terminal) value chain.

The core competitiveness of RIM's solution is that it offers a secure and easy way to deliver the platform-type BlackBerry Solution to a BlackBerry device, regardless the network.

Therefore, for competing with RIM's solution, the company can have two alternatives: whether to partner with a provider that can offer a similar solution and platform within the same level as that of RIM's or to secure a solution of its own. However, RIM's solution has not achieved its current market share by just providing a push email solution. RIM's solution is a total solution that provides a security system, including encryption technology and firewall, being recognized by government-level institutions in the US as well.