Gartner forecasts Android to overtake RIM’s BlackBerry this year

The influential business IT market research and analysis firm, Gartner, published a report today about mobile cell phone sales, predicting Ontario’s Research In Motion (RIM), the maker of the popular enterprise centric smartphone, would lose its spot as the second largest phone maker this year.

Gartner noted intensifying competition from Google’s Android mobile operating system, and Apple’s iPhone.

Google Android is expected to edge RIM out of the second spot as more handsets are expected to ship with Google’s OS.

Google Android is an open source mobile platform that has seen significant improvements in the last year.

Gartner is now forecasting 92-million (22.2-percent market share) Android handsets shipped in 2011, with Apple forecasted to move 71-million (17.1-percent) units. Research In Motion (RIM) is expected to sell 15-percent fewer units in 2011 with 62-million (15-percent market share) BlackBerry units shipped.

The Gartner report says Symbian is expected to retain the top spot, as Nokia is moving the largest volume of units, although the top spot could even be overtaken by Android this year.

The trend seems that more people, and businesses alike, are slowly shifting away from the BlackBerry as consumers demand a superior user experience, something the BlackBerry does not provide, at least compared to its rivals.

An analyst at the New York City-based investment bank JPMorgan Chase told us today the financial intermediary is considering allowing employees to use Apple’s iPhone for corporate e-mail.

The analyst, who did not want to be named, as the plan was not disclosed, said Chase also field-tested Google’s Android platform.

Apple recently publically said that about 80 of the Fortune 100 company’s are considering and or testing its iPhone for use in a corporate environment.

Research In Motion currently offers the most advanced and secure mobile communications, with a number of advanced administrative IT management policies available under BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES).

Switching to another platform could mean less-than optimal security, with key administrative tools no longer being available with other platforms.

Additionally, many still argue the iPhone form-factor is not as best suited for communication compared to the BlackBerry.

The Research In Motion stock (TSE:RIM) is trading almost 3-percent below its opening price at $45.19 per share exactly in mid-day trading.