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By Al Sacco
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Al Sacco writes about (and drools over) anything and everything mobile or wireless as it applies to the global workforce--with a focus on BlackBerry smartphones

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Al Sacco

If You Could Ask RIM Co-CEO Mike Lazaridis One Question, What Would It Be?

Posted May 09, 2008 to Technology Topics |

If you were given the opportunity to chat with the chief of one of the largest and most successful smartphone manufacturers in the world, what would you ask him?

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Those of you who frequent CIO.com and the Advice & Opinion section of our website know that I cover mobile and wireless technologies, with a focus on smartphones—specifically, BlackBerrys.

Well, Research In Motion (RIM) is holding its annual Wireless Enterprise Symposium (WES) in Orlando next Tuesday through Thursday, and I just found out that I'll be getting a sit down with Mr. BlackBerry himself, Mike Lazaridis, RIM's president and co-CEO.

This is big news for me—one of my editors likened it to a political correspondent getting an interview with Hilary Clinton or Barack Obama—and I've got more than enough questions to fill the half hour or so I'll get with Lazaridis at WES. But I want my interview and the resulting article(s) to be memorable and useful for you; and it occurred to me that I'd better ask you all what exactly you want to know.

There are so many interesting things going on at RIM these days and in the smartphone/mobile space in general, and many of the decisions Lazaridis and his colleagues make on a daily basis will directly influence the way that you do your jobs.

image of RIM Co-CEO Mike Lazaridis
RIM Co-CEO Mike Lazaridis

First, the obvious: With the introduction of the iPhone, RIM got itself a new—and powerful—competitor in Apple, which so far has taken the opposite path into the handheld market as RIM: consumers first and then the enterprise. So I'll obviously be asking Lazaridis about his thoughts on the iPhone and what the device means to his company's strategy.

What I want to know from you, the CIOs, IT managers, BlackBerry/smartphone admins, consultants, tech support reps and end users, is what BlackBerry or smartphone-related issues concern you the most? What gets you pumped up about the potential future of enterprise mobility? What keeps you up at night?

Drop your questions/comments below, and I'll do my best to get answers and post them for you right here following my interview with Lazaridis on Wednesday.

AS

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