J.D. Power BlackBerry Devices Rank Highest

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Press Release Source: J.D. Power and Associates


J.D. Power and Associates Reports: BlackBerry Devices Rank Highest in Inaugural Business Wireless Smartphone Customer Satisfaction Study
Wednesday October 31, 9:00 am ET
Each Operating System Platform Excels in at Least One Particular Area, Yet There is Still Room for Improvement


WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Oct. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- BlackBerry devices, which are manufactured by Research in Motion (RIM), rank highest in overall customer satisfaction among business wireless smartphone users, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 Business Wireless Smartphone Customer Satisfaction Study(SM) released today.

The inaugural study measures business customer satisfaction with their wireless smartphone, which is a mobile phone offering advanced capabilities, often with personal computer-like functionality such as a BlackBerry or Treo. Overall satisfaction is examined across six key factors. In order of importance, they are: ease of operation (22%); operating system (21%); physical design (20%); audio (14%); battery aspects (13%); and utility features (10%).

RIM ranks highest in overall smartphone customer satisfaction with a score of 702 points on a 1,000-point scale, performing particularly well in the operating system factor, which includes the speed of moving between applications and speed of sending/receiving e-mails. RIM also performs particularly well in battery aspects, including the length of battery life. Treo manufacturer Palm (698) and Samsung (698) tie to closely follow RIM in the ranking.

"While RIM has differentiated itself from the competition in areas that are most important to business smartphone users, competition in this market is tight," said Kirk Parsons, senior director of wireless services for J.D. Power and Associates. "Particularly for RIM, ease of using basic applications and features and providing the right amount of functionality in a lightweight package has given the manufacturer an edge."

The study finds that satisfaction is critical to future sales and profitability of smartphone manufacturers, as highly satisfied owners are more than 50 percent more likely to repurchase the same brand than those who are not satisfied with their smartphone. Additionally, owners who are "delighted" with their smartphone are 80 percent more likely to recommend a particular brand than an unsatisfied owner.

The study also finds that customer satisfaction varies depending on the type of operating system -- RIM, Palm, Microsoft Windows Mobile or Symbian -- being used in the smartphone device, as each system has its own advantages. For example, customers note that the Palm system's basic features are easy to use, such as making and receiving calls; checking voice mail; using the keyboard and key pads; and understanding display screen symbols. In comparison, smartphone devices using the Microsoft Windows system perform well with regard to call quality, particularly when it comes to sound quality and having a wide variety of preloaded ring tones to choose from.

"While each OS platform excels in a particular area, there is definitely room for improvement across the market as not one smartphone brand excels in all business application dimensions," said Parsons. "It's critical for manufacturers to offer a complete package of functionality and ease of operation that meets the business needs of customers."

The study also finds the following key smartphone business wireless usage patterns:


-- Among smartphone customers, 13 percent report having to get their
device repaired, with software application issues, device locking up or
display not working being the most frequently reported problems.
-- More than 40 percent of smartphone users would like GPS (global
positioning system) capabilities on their device, while 26 percent
would like Wi-Fi capabilities, 22 percent want touch screen and 19
percent would like to have a TV integrated into their device.
-- The average reported purchase price of a smartphone device is $261.
Palm owners report the highest purchase price at $313. Motorola has the
lowest reported device pricing at $194.
-- The top five reasons given for choosing a smartphone brand are:
personal digital assistant (PDA)/personal information manager (PIM)
functionality (50%), Internet capability (48%), Bluetooth capabilities
(46%), general ease of use (44%) and overall design/style (44%).
-- Thirty-five percent of smartphone owners download third-party software.
Popular software downloads among business users include games (51%),
travel-related programs (42%) and business applications such as
Microsoft Word and Excel (36%).


The 2007 Business Wireless Smartphone Customer Satisfaction Study is based on responses from 1,089 business wireless customers who currently own a smartphone device. Findings are based on data collected in August 2007. Visit JDPower.com to view customer satisfaction ratings for wireless service and carrier performance, call quality, customer care, retail sales and mobile phone handsets.


Overall Smartphone Index Rankings
(Based on a 1,000-point scale)

RIM (BlackBerry) 702
Palm (Treo) 698
Samsung 698
Industry Average 696
Motorola 658


About J.D. Power and Associates

Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is an ISO 9001-registered global marketing information services firm operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, performance improvement, training and customer satisfaction. The firm's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. For more information on car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance, cell phone ratings, and more, please visit JDPower.com. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies:

Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP - News) is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2006 were $6.3 billion. Additional information is available at Home - The McGraw-Hill Companies.


J.D. Power and Associates Media Contacts:
John Tews Syvetril Perryman
Troy, Mich. Westlake Village, Calif.
(248) 312-4119 (805) 418-8103
john.tews@jdpa.com syvetril.perryman@jdpa.com

No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in this release without the express prior written consent of J.D. Power and Associates. J.D. Power and Associates




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Source: J.D. Power and Associates