BlackBerry outage spreads to America
BlackBerry users in the Americas started their work day with frustration as a disruption of BlackBerry email, Messenger, and Internet services spread around the globe.
New Yorker Robert Stephens was one of those impacted.
SOUNDBITE: ROBERT STEPHENS, BLACKBERRY USER, NEW YORK (ENGLISH) SAYING:
"No one's getting any emails or anything. It's slowing the day down drastically."
Stephens is not alone. A BlackBerry blackout that began in Europe, Africa, India and the Middle East has stretched across three days and touched various continents.
Millions of BlackBerry users are being hit in what has become the worst BlackBerry service disruption in two years.
Long-time BlackBerry user Tony Vitali is fed up.
SOUNDBITE: TONY VITALI, BLACKBERRY USER, NEW YORK (ENGLISH) SAYING:
"BlackBerry is just..there are so many problems with BlackBerry right now and I don't know if they can really even compete with the new Droid products that out there. The iPhone is getting better and better and better. So I've been a stalwart when it comes to BlackBerry. I've had them for a while but I think I'm right at the edge where I might be saying goodbye to my BlackBerry."
The spreading service disruption couldn't come at a worse time for device maker Research in Motion. The sold out Apple iPhone 4s will hit customer hands on Friday. And businesses once loyal to the BlackBerry have already started to allow workers to use the iPhone and other smartphones to access corporate email.
BlackBerry apologized for the service delays in the Americas - releasing this statement: "we are working to resolve the situation as quickly as possible." But there's still no word on when the outages that began three days ago will be resolved.
That's not the message RIM's management wants to send right now. A sharp drop in its stock price is an indication some investors are calling for a break-up, a management shake-up, or an outright sale of the company.
Conway Gittens, Reuters
New Yorker Robert Stephens was one of those impacted.
SOUNDBITE: ROBERT STEPHENS, BLACKBERRY USER, NEW YORK (ENGLISH) SAYING:
"No one's getting any emails or anything. It's slowing the day down drastically."
Stephens is not alone. A BlackBerry blackout that began in Europe, Africa, India and the Middle East has stretched across three days and touched various continents.
Millions of BlackBerry users are being hit in what has become the worst BlackBerry service disruption in two years.
Long-time BlackBerry user Tony Vitali is fed up.
SOUNDBITE: TONY VITALI, BLACKBERRY USER, NEW YORK (ENGLISH) SAYING:
"BlackBerry is just..there are so many problems with BlackBerry right now and I don't know if they can really even compete with the new Droid products that out there. The iPhone is getting better and better and better. So I've been a stalwart when it comes to BlackBerry. I've had them for a while but I think I'm right at the edge where I might be saying goodbye to my BlackBerry."
The spreading service disruption couldn't come at a worse time for device maker Research in Motion. The sold out Apple iPhone 4s will hit customer hands on Friday. And businesses once loyal to the BlackBerry have already started to allow workers to use the iPhone and other smartphones to access corporate email.
BlackBerry apologized for the service delays in the Americas - releasing this statement: "we are working to resolve the situation as quickly as possible." But there's still no word on when the outages that began three days ago will be resolved.
That's not the message RIM's management wants to send right now. A sharp drop in its stock price is an indication some investors are calling for a break-up, a management shake-up, or an outright sale of the company.
Conway Gittens, Reuters