Jim Balsillie

Co-Chief Executive Officer, Research in Motion
Reject the Appification of the Web
36 minutes, 16.6mb, recorded 2010-11-16
Jim Balsillie

"The mobile experience shouldn't be about a set of proprietary tools," argues Jim Balsillie of Blackberry maker RIM. "We completely disagree with that worldview." Predicting that our reliance on SDK's to create mobile content is a passing fad, he goes on to tell interviewer John Battelle that platforms which allow developers to use current web authoring tools will dominate the market.

Balsillie also answers pressing questions:

  • Who will credential smartphones for credits/debits at points-of-sale? Mobile banking and NFC-enabled devices create conflicts over who becomes the 'credentialing body' when smartphones and credit/debit cards merge. Balsillie shares the reasons he plans to constructively align with the banks.
  • How do we leverage the full capability of our devices? He explains why the competition for devices will always center on performance and speed.
  • How do we make mobile devices secure? By avoiding proprietary spaces, Balsillie shows how Blackberry communications are inherently more secure. Blackberry has carved out niches in government, healthcare and intelligence communities because in-house development staff can control security "down to the metal."

Jim Balsillie has been co-CEO at Research In Motion (RIM), maker of the world renowned BlackBerry wireless solution, since 1992. In 2002, Mr. Balsillie founded The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), a world-class global research institute focused on the restructuring of international governance. In 2007, Mr. Balsillie announced the creation of the new Canadian International Council (CIC) of which he is the Chair. In 2008, he founded the Balsillie School of International Affairs. Mr. Balsillie is a graduate of the University of Toronto and the Harvard Graduate School of Business. He is a chartered accountant and a fellow of the Ontario Institute of Chartered Accountants. He also holds numerous honorary doctorate degrees. -- O'Reilly Media.

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Photo: James Duncan Davidson