Obama wont give up his BlackBerry

I listened to the CNN interview with Obama yesterday and was happy to hear he is as addicted to his Berry as the rest of us.  Unlike our soon to be former President who probably cant even type an email no less operate a BB.  Obama is a gadget head and understands the power of tech and how it relates to business and leadership.  This is a huge PR boost for RIM  the manufacturer of BB. In the real estate industry the BB has also been a powerful communication tool for brokers.  We joke about the Crack Berry issues. Sure some go over the top.  But the fact is it has enabled brokers and related RE execs the flexiblity to be able to do business without being tied to a desk.  At my firm RDM servicing Landlords and brokers is our main focus. The Blackberry allows me to be more dialed in while being able to spend more time with my family. Below are some excerpts from the Obama interview.

US President-elect Barack Obama says he’s keeping his BlackBerry when he takes office, media reports say.

Obama told CNN that the BlackBerry was one way to stay in touch with real Americans outside of the White House “bubble”, AFP said.

“My working assumption…is that anything I write on an email could end up being on CNN,” he said.

“It’s just one tool among a number of tools that I’m trying to use, to break out of the bubble, to make sure that people can still reach me,” he told CNN.

“If I’m doing something stupid, somebody in Chicago can send me an email and say, ‘What are you doing?

Obama’s BlackBerry was always at his side on the campaign trail, but legal and security obstacles make it difficult for him to bring it with him to the White House. The US President is required by law to keep a record of every communication, and the Secret Service was worried his Blackberry could be a security risk.

Peter Boritz
President RDM