RIM had a rough 2011…very rough. Its rapid decline in relevance has made it a popular target for acquisition rumors, but so far the main question seems to be “who would want it, and what would they use it for?”

RIM does have value, just not for its BlackBerry OS or BlackBerry mobile devices. At this point, those would be more of a burden than a benefit. Whether the company is Microsoft, or Nokia, or Samsung, or some other acquisition rumor du jour, the real value of RIM is its customer base and patent portfolio.