Think Research In Motion (Nasdaq: RIMM) will get by giving users $100 worth of apps to compensate for a three-day service blackout? Think again.
Entrepreneur cites a new report from Boulder, Colo., research firm Enterprise Management Associates that says up to 60% of small business users will abandon their BlackBerry smartphones for a competing device sometime over the next 12 months.
The breakdown is even more troubling. EMA says that while 52% of large-company users primarily use their BlackBerry at work, only 36% said they planned to still have the device within a year. At small companies, only 16% cited BlackBerry as their primary device. Only 7% said they'd continue to use one at this point in 2012.
User-satisfaction scores were also depressingly low. EMA told Entrepreneur that only 16% of surveyed users and -- importantly -- technology purchasing managers were "completely satisfied" with the BlackBerry. Both the iPhone (44%) and Android (34%) scored far higher, suggesting that cast-offs will flock to Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) and Android powered devices.
But of the two, Android may be the bigger benefactor. EMA found that 50% of small businesses plan to commit to the platform over the next year, up from 43% today. iPhone commitment is expected to rise from 27% to 29% over the same period.
What precisely this could mean for RIM is unclear right now, but it's a good bet that Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) will get a boost. Not only is it producing the new Nexus Prime phone with Samsung, but the company is also acquiring the major device-making assets of Motorola Mobility (NYSE: MMI).
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