With only days to go before RIM launches their first foray into the tablet space with the BlackBerry PlayBook all news has drifted to how co-CEO Mike Lazaridis quickly ended an interview with the BBC. The reporter repeatedly asked if the security problems in the Middle East and India are “anywhere near to being sorted out”, Lazaridis responded by stating “You implied that we have a security problem; we don’t have a security problem. We’ve just been singled out, right, because we’re so successful around the world. It’s an iconic product, used by business, it’s used by leaders, it’s used by celebrities, it’s used by consumers, it’s used by teenagers. I mean we’re just singled out. And that’s just because of our success… It’s over, the interview. You can’t use that, it’s not fair, it’s national security. Turn that off.”
Mike Lazaridis seemed genuinely upset and he was only to talk about the PlayBook – and most likely had been briefed on the questions the reporter was going to ask. Clearly it was not handled very well as BBC reporter stated in his blog post that they were there only “discuss the new product and nothing else”.
Thoughts?
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