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Research In Motion CEO on the Defensive over BlackBerry Glitch

8:30 pm on April 21, 2007 | Category: Business, Email, Mobile Devices

Jim Balsillie, the co-CEO of Research In Motion, was still on the defensive Friday, after a major technical glitch shut down functions of the company’s popular BlackBerry email devices earlier in the week.

Many BlackBerry users have complained that RIM mishandled the situation, and failed to keep customers properly informed while working on the glitch, which left millions of North Americans without access to wireless email for several hours.

“In a sense people say ‘How come you didn’t communicate?’,” Balsillie responded to the numerous complaints. “I turn it around and say, ‘Other than communicate what’s self-evident, you’d better have something that’s substantial to communicate.’”

RIM released a 56-word statement on Wednesday morning, indicating that service had been restored, but did not give any explanation for the mishap until later in the week.

One BlackBerry user posted on an internet message board that “while technology failing is an everyday occurrence, not owning up to the problem quickly and giving interim updates was not the best way to handle this.”

The consensus among users is that RIM should be more forthcoming, and quick to explain the problem, in the case of future technical glitches.

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