Research In Motion Ltd (BBRY): Focus On Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NOK) As Battle For Third Ecosystem Heats Up

As the battle for a third ecosystem in the smartphone market continues to take shape, attention has shifted away from the top end of the market to turnaround player Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK). Both the Finnish handset maker and its competitor, Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY), are wedged in an unforgiving fashion of competition – a race for third place.

Personally, I opine that Blackberry/Research In Motion (NASDAQ:BBRY) is a formidable competitor. In addition to its BB10 gaining momentum in mature markets like Europe and Canada, there is huge potential upsideconsidering that the company reversed its troubled fortunes and turned surprise profits of $98 million, or $0.18 per share, in Q4 2012 Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK)’s turnaround story, though not as impacting as Research In Motion (NASDAQ:BBRY)’s, also has its rosy side. However, in the long run, the race will not entirely be won by innovation or any other parameters that analysts may want to hash out, but by something that Apple and Google realized a long time ago – numbers.

Yes, smartphone wars have boiled down to a game of numbers. As consumers get absorbed into carefully thought out mantras like ‘creating revolutionary products,’ Apple and Google continue to do what they do best – rope in new customers, whatever the cost. Through the years, the two have established a solid market share lead over their peers and, in the process, carved out the lion’s share of the market.

What is Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK) doing to reclaim its market share? Better yet, will Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK) get more numbers than Research In Motion (NASDAQ:BBRY) to secure a third place position?

Notable inroads into key markets

Blackberry/Research In Motion (NASDAQ:BBRY) isn’t alone in making inroads into Europe. In a research study released by Kantar World Panel at the onset of April, Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK)’s Windows 8 platform, which is designed by Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT), was noted to have gained significantly in Europe and other key markets.

The research, which relates to 2012, shows that in the past year, Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK)’s Windows 8 platform gained more than 3 points year-over-year in Britain to secure a 6.7% market share. A similar trend was witnessed in Italy, where Windows 8 Phone gained 7.7 points year-over-year to come in at 13.1% market share. Likewise, the Windows 8 platform gained 1.7 points in Australia to secure a 3.4% market share.