Tag: rim

Blackberry 10 Phones won’t come until end 2012

Unfortunate news for those who were hoping that Blackberry would step up to its game. The company’s new plans reveal that they will not be bringing the new Blackberry 10 phones until the end of 2012. Blackberry 10 formerly known as BBX is a new OS by the company that will dramatically change the user experience and add Android application integration.

RIM CEO in a earnings call said that due to a critical chipset that’s not expected to be available in production quantity until mid-next year, BlackBerry 10 devices will emerge late in 2012.

Boo-Hoo RIM we were literally hoping for some real effort to revive the strength Blackberry had few years ago.

[RIM investor call]

December 16, 2011
RIM Looses BBX trademark battle, renames it to boring Blackberry 10 (PR)

Planning a BBX phone in the future? Better wait up, since Blackberry has announced that the BBX name patent was lost and the new OS will be renamed to Blackberry 10. The US Federal Court has blocked the company from using the BBX trademark, favoring the existing use by BASIS International for its software. The company just can’t seem to catch a break, as it announced at BlackBerry DevCon Asia that the new name for its next phone OS is BlackBerry 10.

[toggle title_open=”Press Release” title_closed=”Press Release” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]December 06, 2011 09:18 PM Eastern Time
US Federal Court Bars RIM (BlackBerry) from Using BASIS’ BBX Trademark

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The United States Federal Court in Albuquerque today granted a temporary restraining order (TRO) against Research in Motion (RIM), immediately barring RIM from using BASIS International Ltd.’s incontestable federally registered BBX trademark at RIM’s Asian DevCon on December 7-8 in Singapore.

RIM had refused BASIS’ requests to stop the infringement at the DevCon conference, which resulted in BASIS filing for the TRO.

In rejecting RIM’s arguments against the issuance of a TRO, the court found that, “The BBX mark is identical to the mark which RIM is allegedly using to present its BBX product (TRO page 8).” and “despite the fact that the two companies are not direct competitors, the parties’ respective BBX products are highly related and target the same class of consumers, that is, business application software developers (TRO page 9).” The court went on to concur with BASIS that “The alleged infringement is likely to cause customers and prospective customers to wrongly believe that the software applications created using BASIS’s development tools are only compatible with RIM’s BBX operating system (TRO page 11).”

The order described how the “Courts use a well-established four-part test to decide whether to grant injunctive relief (TRO page 7)” and concluded that “Accordingly, after considering all the factors relative to a determination of whether an injunction should be granted, the Court finds that all factors weigh in favor of BASIS (TRO page 8).”

See BASIS’ latest generation of BBX in action by running the sample restaurant tip calculator and home mortgage calculator applications from links.basis.com/buidemos to experience BASIS’ BBX platform-independent solutions on your own smartphone or tablet.

About BASIS

BASIS International Ltd. is a global software company whose software developer community is a worldwide network of partners for whom the BASIS “BBx Generations” of products form the foundation for proven and reliable software solutions. Since 1985, BASIS’ mission has been to blaze a trail by producing ambitious and innovative programming languages, database products, development tools, and an application framework for their community to build upon. BASIS is committed to delivering platform independence to the server and client, including browser-based mobile clients.[/toggle]

December 8, 2011
Rim Still in the gutter: Playbook to cost company US $ 485 Million

RIM is struggling for deep breaths as the company is plagued by problem after problem. RIM announced on Friday that the company will not meet its financial targets for the year, blaming the unsuccessful performance of the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. With only 150,000 units pushed this quarter, compared with 250,000 last quarter, and 500,000 in the first quarter of the year. Making it the most unsuccessful product from the company ever.

The Company is also trying hard to sustain sales of the 7 inch slate , as they tried to cut prices across the board to around US $ 300 a pop

“RIM is committed to the BlackBerry PlayBook and believes the tablet market is still in its infancy. Although a number of factors have led to the need for an inventory provision in the third quarter, we believe the PlayBook, which will be further enhanced with the upcoming PlayBook OS 2.0 software, is a compelling tablet for consumers that also offers unique security and manageability features for the enterprise.”

-RIM’s co-CEO Mike Lazaridis

RIM’s tablet has been plagued with issues right from launch, with a lot of software and pairing related issues.

December 5, 2011
Blackberry London – QNX based Berry – Leaked dummy

Oh dummy its just a dummy, QNX based Blackberry “london” just showed up on the inter webs and it does look like there is a future of the mobile smartphone company after all (the device is only a dummy). The device purportedly thinner yet taller than the iPhone 4/4s will feature a nice set of specs. The Verge ( proud owners of the story) were also informed that the device will feature a 1.5GHz dual-core TI OMAP processor with 1GB of RAM and 16GB of on-board storage. An 8-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing one with a release set for June 2012.

Time to upgrade my Berry to London, well in 6 months anyway!

[The Verge]

November 15, 2011
RIM wants Indian Devs to Make BB Apps

RIM is working hard to capture the Indian App developers to get them interested in building apps for RIM very own Blackberry platform.

We see huge opportunity in mobile application development. BlackBerry App World currently has 26,000-odd registered developers from India, against 5,000 two years ago, with the applications numbering over 40,000.

– Annie Mathew

RIM also has an Apple-esque revenue share model where the profit is shared 70:30. So if you have a dev brewing up in you, now is the time to filter it out.

RIM is also pushing for NFC and its development in the country, which would make it a boon for enterprise customers.

November 14, 2011
RIP: Google Ends support for Gmail app on Blackberry

Oh No! Google is ending support for the Gmail app on the Blackberry platform, woe is the Blackberry user. Plagued by downfalls and poor support Blackberry seems to be heading for a downfall. Google has announced that it will end support of the Gmail app for BlackBerry phones on November 22nd.

Fortunately those who already have the app installed will be able to continue using it indefinitely, but it will no longer be supported by Google.

Deprecation of Gmail App for BlackBerry

Released on 11/08/2011

Beginning November 22, 2011, we will end support for the Gmail App for Blackberry (installed native app). Over this past year, we’ve focused efforts on building a great Gmail experience in the mobile browser and will continue investing in this area.

Users may continue to use the app, if installed, however it will not be supported by Google, or available for download starting November 22. BlackBerry users can continue to access Gmail through the mobile web app at http://www.gmail.com in their BlackBerry web browser.Learn more.

Editions included:
Google Apps, Google Apps for Business, Government and Education

[Google]

November 10, 2011
Porsche Design Blackberry P’9981 makes it on every BB owners wish list (PR) (VIDEO)
Blackberry has finally made a massive design change to their lineup and it comes from another company. Porsche and Blackberry have tied up to release the worlds first stainless steel and alloy Porsche Design P’9981 it has hand-wrapped leather back cover, sculpted QWERTY keyboard, and “crystal clear touch display.”

The UI is completely redesigned by Porsche and the device will also feature a bespoke Wikitude World Browser with augmented reality. The limited edition phone will ship with unique pin’s and the ability to easily identify other P’9981 users.

As for the specs
- 1.2GHz processor
- HD video recording capabilities
- 8GB of onboard memory
- Liquid Graphics technology
- microSD expansion slot
- Inbuilt NFC module
- BlackBerry OS 7
Want the Price?, don’t hold your breath because this one will cost upwards of US$ 2000 or about 80,000 Indian and will be available in limited supply.

[toggle title_open=”Press Release” title_closed=”Press Release” hide=”no” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]Introducing the Porsche Design P’9981 Smartphone from BlackBerry

Engineered Luxury Meets High-Powered Performance

STUTTGART, GERMANY and WATERLOO, ONTARIO–(Marketwire – Oct. 27, 2011) –

Today, Porsche Design and Research In Motion (NASDAQ:RIMM)(TSX:RIM) announced the elite new Porsche Design P’9981 smartphone from BlackBerry®. Designed by Porsche Design, in collaboration with RIM, the luxury brand’s first smartphone delivers engineered luxury and performance.

The Porsche Design P’9981 smartphone from BlackBerry is instantly identifiable as a Porsche Design product. The exclusive material choices for this unique smartphone include a forged stainless steel frame, hand-wrapped leather back cover, sculpted QWERTY keyboard, and crystal clear touch display. This customized Porsche Design P’9981 comes with an exclusive Porsche Design UI and a bespoke Wikitude World Browser augmented reality app experience. It also includes premium, exclusive PINs that help easily identify another P’9981 smartphone user.

“Since 1972 Porsche Design has presented milestone products with iconic style, and the P’9981 smartphone from BlackBerry will be our next landmark,” said Dr. Juergen Gessler, CEO Porsche Design Group. “The pure and distinctive design, coupled with authentic materials and an emphasis on the manufacturing process, perfectly match our philosophy and complement the Porsche Design product assortment.”

“This collaboration stems from a shared belief that form equals function,” said Todd Wood, SVP for Industrial Design, Research In Motion. “The Porsche Design P’9981 is a truly modern luxury smartphone, where the timeless style of Porsche Design meets the unmatched mobile experience provided by BlackBerry.”

Powerful hardware and software

The Porsche Design P’9981 is built on a performance driven platform that features a 1.2 GHz processor, HD video recording, 24-bit high resolution graphics, and advanced sensors enabling new augmented reality applications. It comes with 8GB of on-board memory, expandable up to 40GB with a micro SD card.

BlackBerry® 7, the operating system for the new Porsche Design P’9981, includes a next generation BlackBerry® browser with a fast, fluid web browsing experience that is among the best in the industry. It also features Liquid Graphics™ technology, which delivers a highly responsive touch experience with incredibly fast and smooth graphics.

The Porsche Design P’9981 includes built-in support for NFC (Near Field Communications), which will enable many new and exciting capabilities.

The Porsche Design P’9981 smartphone from BlackBerry will be available from Porsche Design stores later this year.

For more information please visit www.BlackBerry.com/ae/P9981smartphone or www.BlackBerry.com/sa/P9981smartphone

About Porsche Design

Porsche Design is a luxury brand with a special focus on products that are technically inspired. The brand Porsche Design was founded in 1972 by Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche. The products are the embodiment of functionality, timelessness and purist design. They impress by the technical innovations they incorporate. The product portfolio includes watches, sunglasses, luggage, electronic products, a line of fragrances for men as well as a sport and fashion collection. All products of the brand are designed at the Porsche Design Studio in Zell am See, Austria, and are sold worldwide in the brand’s own stores, in franchise stores, shop-in-shops, quality department stores and exclusive retailers.[/toggle]
October 28, 2011
RIM releases BBM SDK for WebWorks, Allows integration with Apps

RIM at their DEVcon forgot to mention that they will be releasing the SDK for their social instant messenger to the developer world, for integration within apps and notifications. The service will allow apps to initiate chats and incorporate BBM statuses, avatars and personal messages. The SDK will also allow “application-to-application background communication,” file transfers over the protocol and sharing apps between users.

This may change the outlook of blackberry devices, even though their future now looks bleek to us.

October 27, 2011
Blackberry Playbook 2.0 Dev Beta shown on Video

The Blackberry Playbook original failed to do well in the market. But RIM is determined to get the next Playbook appreciated by all and thus have managed to release a better SDK for the next Playbook. German site Macberry.de took the time to film a walkthrough of the recently released BlackBerry Playbook 2.0 developer beta.

The homescreen now has folders similar to that on iOS and most importantly BlackBerry Runtime for Android apps in action.

Android applications will run smoothly and will support the tablets structure fully. CHeck out the video of the possible better future of Blackberry.

October 22, 2011
Research in Motion announces BBX the future of Blackberry OS (PR)

The war on speculation is over already, RIM acquisition of QNX is finally paid off as the company announces their new Mobile operating system the BBX. BBX will be based on QNX, the current operating system found on the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. But, like Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android Ice Cream Sandwich operating systems, BBX will be one operating system across devices.

BBX will also bring along the long-promised ability to run Android apps on BlackBerry devices. It will also run native BBX apps, apps developed using Adobe’s AIR software and HTML5 apps.

But while RIM made the next BlackBerry operating system official, the company offered up few details on the new software outside of how developers will be able to build for it. RIM hasn’t yet said when the first BBX smartphones will arrive.

[toggle title_open=”Press Release” title_closed=”Press Release” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]

RIM Unveils BlackBerry BBX-Combines the Best of BlackBerry and QNX to Provide a Next Generation Platform for BlackBerry Smartphones and Tablets

Additional announcements and highlights from BlackBerry DevCon Americas 2011 include: – BlackBerry WebWorks and HTML5 apps compatible with current BlackBerry smartphones and tablets will run on future BBX-based devices – Native SDK for BlackBerry PlayBook goes gold; released for general availability – SDK for Adobe AIR Now Supports Adobe AIR 3.0 – BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 Developer Beta now available, includes BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, Oct 18, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) — BlackBerry DevCon Americas 2011 – At BlackBerry DevCon Americas 2011, Research In Motion today unveiled BlackBerry BBX, its next generation mobile platform that takes the best of the BlackBerry platform and the best of the QNX platform to connect people, devices, content and services.

In addition, RIM announced a series of developer tool updates, including WebWorks for BlackBerry smartphones and tablets, the Native SDK for the BlackBerry PlayBook and a developer beta of BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 with support for running Android applications. RIM also provided direction for developers on how to best develop and monetize their BlackBerry applications for today and for the future.

“With nearly 5 million BlackBerry apps downloaded daily, our customers have made BlackBerry one of the most profitable platforms for developers,” said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at RIM. “At DevCon today, we’re giving developers the tools they need to build richer applications and we’re providing direction on how to best develop their smartphone and tablet apps as the BlackBerry and QNX platforms converge into our next generation BBX platform.”

BlackBerry BBX

BBX is the next generation platform for BlackBerry smartphones and tablets. It combines the best of BlackBerry and the best of QNX and is designed from the ground up to enable the powerful real-time mobile experiences that distinguish BlackBerry products and services.

The BBX platform will include BBX-OS, and will support BlackBerry cloud services and development environments for both HTML5 and native developers. BBX will also support applications developed using any of the tools available today for the BlackBerry PlayBook – including Native SDK, Adobe AIR/Flash and WebWorks/HTML5, as well as the BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps – on future BBX-based tablets and smartphones.

BBX will also include the new BlackBerry Cascades UI Framework for advanced graphics (shown for the first time today), and bring “Super App” capabilities to enable many advanced capabilities including deep integration between apps, always-on Push services, the BBM(TM) Social Platform, and much more.

BlackBerry WebWorks

Developers who want to support both existing smartphones (running BlackBerry 6 and BlackBerry 7 OS) and BlackBerry PlayBook tablets can monetize apps on both platforms today with BlackBerry WebWorks, which supports apps built on HTML5, CSS and JavaScript. The latest release, BlackBerry WebWorks SDK 2.2 (supporting both smartphones and tablets), is now available and includes updates for the new PlayBook OS SDK, PlayBook Simulator and more.

The BlackBerry WebWorks APIs are supported by the Ripple Emulator, a standalone, high-fidelity browser-like emulation tool that allows developers to test and debug their applications on multiple platforms and devices without having to compile or launch simulators. Starting today the Ripple Emulator is available in beta and can also be downloaded from RIM’s WebWorks Developer site at: http://developer.blackberry.com/html5 .

Native SDK – Content Rich, Fast and Smooth Running Applications

RIM also announced today the immediate availability of the Native SDK for the BlackBerry PlayBook (1.0 gold release). The Native SDK allows developers to build high-performance, multi-threaded, native C/C++ applications and enables developers to create advanced 2D and 3D games and other apps with access to OpenGL ES 2.0 and Open AL, as well as device specific APIs. Applications developed with the Native SDK will run today on the BlackBerry PlayBook and will be forwardly compatible on BBX-based tablets and smartphones.

The Native SDK includes support for C/C++ POSIX library and compliance, device events like gesture swipes and touch screen inputs, access to code management systems using industry standard Eclipse CDT (C/C++ Development Tools) and advanced debug and analysis tools. QNX Momentics Tool Suite, an Eclipse-based integrated development environment, is included. It provides memory profiling, application debugging, and memory usage statistics to help developers debug sophisticated programs, including hardware accelerated OpenGL applications.

The Native SDK makes the development and porting of game applications to the BlackBerry PlayBook an extremely attractive proposition for developers. Well known game publishers, developers and major game engine companies have already started to bring their game titles and applications to the platform.

Scoreloop, the largest and fastest growing cross-platform social gaming ecosystem on mobile, is now available in beta for the Native SDK through BlackBerry(R) Beta Zone. The Scoreloop SDK provides everything a developer needs to easily integrate social capabilities into their native PlayBook applications and includes support for Leaderboards, Game Challenges, Awards & Achievements, and Player Profiles. Scoreloop’s fully customizable and cross-platform technology empowers developers to add as many or as few features as they want, from a simple leader-board to more extensive player achievements. It makes mobile games more social and profitable.

BlackBerry Cascades – Create Visually Stunning Interfaces

RIM today showcased BlackBerry Cascades, a rich user interface framework coming to a future release of the Native SDK. Cascades unleashes a new breed of design centric mobile applications and provides developers with an exceptional feature set for creating visually stunning interfaces with custom layouts, animations, effects and 3D graphics. These features, combined with a strong set of built-in core user interface components, will make it easy to build beautiful native applications with innovative user interfaces for the current BlackBerry PlayBook and future BBX-based tablets and smartphones. Cascades is scheduled to be made available in beta later this fall.

Adobe AIR 3.0 Support

Adobe Flash enables developers to produce visually stunning, highly functional applications for the BlackBerry PlayBook that can integrate with the underlying OS and will be supported on future BBX-based tablets and smartphones.

The BlackBerry PlayBook now supports the recently announced Adobe AIR 3.0 runtime. Among the supported features are Encrypted Local Store that gives developers the ability to use the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) to encrypt and securely store sensitive information on the device, as well as store passwords, keys or credit card information safely within the app; StageText that allows developers to take advantage of native text controls and the native interaction behaviors of those controls; Multitouch and Gestures built into applications to provide great usability; and more.

PlayBook OS 2.0 – Developer Beta

RIM introduced today the Developer Beta version of the BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0. The Developer Beta includes the BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps and the BlackBerry Plug-In for Android Development Tools (ADT), allowing developers to quickly and easily bring Android applications to BlackBerry PlayBook tablets.

The BlackBerry Plug-In for ADT (an Eclipse plug-in) extends a developer’s existing Eclipse Android development environment to support the PlayBook, and includes the BlackBerry PlayBook Simulator for developers to test and debug their apps before submitting them to BlackBerry App World(TM). Developers can also test and debug their apps on a PlayBook running the BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 – Developer Beta.

Android developers can also repackage Android apps for the BlackBerry PlayBook online by using the BlackBerry Packager for Android Apps. The web tool guides developers through a step-by-step process, allowing them to test their apps for compatibility with the PlayBook, and repackage and sign their apps for submission to BlackBerry App World, all without downloading any tools.

BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps and the associated tools allow Android developers to easily expand their market to include BlackBerry PlayBook users, and hence increase their apps’ market potential.

The BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 – Developer Beta also supports Adobe Air 3.0 and Adobe Flash 11, as well as WebGL, a new web technology that brings hardware-accelerated 3D graphics to the browser without installing additional software. Developers will be able to generate rich, interactive 3D graphics within their BlackBerry WebWorks application.

For more information about the BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 – Developer Beta and BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps and associated tools, visit For more information about the BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 – Developer Beta and BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps and associated tools, visit: https://bdsc.webapps.blackberry.com/android/bpaa/ .

Increased Developer Productivity with Open Source Libraries on the BlackBerry PlayBook OS

RIM also announced the BlackBerry Open Source Initiative to port popular Open Source libraries to the BlackBerry PlayBook platform. Libraries already available include physics engines like Bullet Physics and Box2DX, scripting languages like Lua, multimedia libraries like OpenAL and SDL, gaming frameworks like Cocos2DX and general-purpose libraries like Boost and Qt. Also available under an Open Source license are a range of code samples that developers can use to get started quickly, as well as GamePlay, a new 3D native gaming framework.

RIM will continue to expand its involvement in the Open Source community to help increase developer productivity on the BlackBerry platforms. For more details on RIM’s Open Source activities, visit http://blackberry.github.com .

[/toggle]

October 20, 2011

iPhone 4S vs Galaxy Nexus Vs Galaxy S2 Vs HTC Sensation XE : Spec Wars

Before the journey, Here are the major and upcoming smartphones of India in a spec by spec battle.

Sure there are others and we will continue to add them.


Price	TBD	TBD	INR : 28500	TBD
Processor	Dual-core Apple A5	1.2GHz dual-core	1.2GHz dual-core Samsung Exyno	Dual core, Qualcomm 8260, 1500 MHz
Display	3.5 inches, 960 x 640 IPS LCD	4.65-inch curved glass HD Super AMOLED 1280 x 720	4.3 inch , 800 x 480 Super AMOLED Plus	4.3 Inch, 540 x 960 SLCD
Primary Camera	8 megapixel AF, f2.4 lens, BSI sensor, LED flash	5 megapixel with zero shutter lag	8 megapixel AF, LED flash	8 megapixel AF, LED flash
Front Camera	VGA	1.3 megapixel	2 megapixel	VGA
Cellular	Quadband GSM, quadband HSPA+ 14.4, CDMA / EDVO Rev. A	LTE or HSPA+, GSM	Quadband GSM, quadband HSPA+ 21 / 42	Quadband GSM, quadband HSPA+ 21 / 42
Wifi	802.11b/g/n	802.11 a/b/g/n	802.11a/b/g/n	802.11a/b/g/n
NFC	N/A	Yes	NO	NO
Memory	Unknown (likely 512MB)	1GB RAM	1GB RAM	768 MB
Storage	16GB / 32GB / 64GB internal	16GB / 32GB internal storage	16GB / 32GB internal, microSDHC expansion	1GB inbulit, microSDHC expansion
OS	iOS 5	Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich	Android 2.3.4 with TouchWiz 4.0	Android 2.3.4 with Sense
Battery	1420+mAh, embedded	1,750mAh	1650mAh, removable	1730 mAh, Removable
Quoted Batt life	Talk 8 hours on 3G, 14 hours on 2G 40 hours audio, 10 hours video	TBD	7-8.7 hours on 3G, 5 hours video	7.16 hours on 3g, 6 Hours video
Weight	140 grams / 4.9 oz.	135g / 4.76oz	116 grams / 4.1 oz	151 grams / 5.33 oz
Dimensions	115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3mm	135.5 x 67.94 x 8.94 mm	125.3 mm x 66.1 mm x 8.49 mm	126.1 x 65.4 x 11.3 mm

October 20, 2011

Did you suffer from the Blackberry Outage? RIM will give you 12 free Paid Apps! (PR)
Following the major outages for Blackberry services in the past week, RIM will offer free premium apps to its consumer. These apps include
- SIMS 3 – Electronic Arts
- Bejeweled – Electronic Arts
- N.O.V.A. – Gameloft
- Texas Hold’em Poker 2 – Gameloft
- Bubble Bash 2 – Gameloft
- Photo Editor Ultimate – Ice Cold Apps
- DriveSafe.ly Pro – iSpeech.org
- iSpeech Translator Pro – iSpeech.org
- Drive Safe.ly Enterprise – iSpeech.org
- Nobex Radio™ Premium – Nobex
- Shazam Encore – Shazam
- Vlingo Plus: Virtual Assistant – Vlingo (Almost SIRI)
Good move from CEO Lazaridis, to prevent users from jumping the boat for iOS or Android.

[toggle title_open=”Press Release” title_closed=”Press Release” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]Research In Motion Offers Free Premium Apps to Customers Following Service Interruptions

Waterloo, ON – Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) announced today that a selection of premium apps worth a total value of more than US $100 will be offered free of charge to subscribers as an expression of appreciation for their patience during the recent service disruptions. The apps will be made available to customers over the coming weeks on BlackBerry® App World™ and will continue to be available until December 31, 2011.*

“Our global network supports the communications needs of more than 70 million customers,” said RIM Co-CEO Mike Lazaridis. “We truly appreciate and value our relationship with our customers. We’ve worked hard to earn their trust over the past 12 years, and we’re committed to providing the high standard of reliability they expect, today and in the future.”

The complete selection of premium apps will become available to download at BlackBerry App World over a period of four weeks beginning Wednesday, October 19th. The selections over this period will include the following (with more to come):

SIMS 3 – Electronic Arts
Bejeweled – Electronic Arts
N.O.V.A. – Gameloft
Texas Hold’em Poker 2 – Gameloft
Bubble Bash 2 – Gameloft
Photo Editor Ultimate – Ice Cold Apps
DriveSafe.ly Pro – iSpeech.org
iSpeech Translator Pro – iSpeech.org
Drive Safe.ly Enterprise – iSpeech.org
Nobex Radio™ Premium – Nobex
Shazam Encore – Shazam
Vlingo Plus: Virtual Assistant – Vlingo

RIM’s enterprise customers will also be offered one month of free Technical Support. Current customers will be offered a complimentary one month extension of their existing Technical Support contract, and customers who do not currently have a Technical Support contract will be offered a one month trial of RIM’s BlackBerry Technical Support Services – Enhanced Support, free of charge. Additional details about the program and information about how to register will be available at www.blackberry.com/enterpriseoffer.

“We are grateful to our loyal BlackBerry customers for their patience,” added Lazaridis. “We have apologized to our customers and we will work tirelessly to restore their confidence. We are taking immediate and aggressive steps to help prevent something like this from happening again.

* Please note that the availability of this offer will depend on the type of device, operating system version, access to BlackBerry App World and local conditions and/or restrictions.[/toggle]
October 17, 2011
Mike Lazaridis apologizes for BlackBerry outage on Video

RIM founder and CEO Mike Lazaridis takes out time and apologizes for the service outages for Blackberry services this week. In a video address published today, Lazaridis acknowledged that RIM services were out of functionality due to server losses this week, but assured that his company is working hard to remedy the situation.

We’ve let many of you down, event though services are approaching normal levels across Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa, but could not give an estimate as to when RIM may see full global recovery. It’s too soon to say that this issue is fully resolved”

The above video was released just hours before news came out that the services were fully restored across the world.

October 14, 2011
Still Facing Blackberry Issues ? RIM says they are working on it!

Its day two of shortages for Blackberry users thanks to European Server crashes. The Blackberry service users in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, India, Brazil, Chile, and Argentina are facing major service outages limiting their devices to do only what they were intended to do , make calls. Are you facing any outages ?

RIM SAYS :

Media statement – October 11
Some users in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, India, Brazil, Chile, and Argentina are experiencing messaging and browsing delays. We are working to restore normal service as quickly as possible. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.

October 11, 2011
Blackberry Issues? Blame the RIM server in Europe

Did you face multiple blackberry connectivity problems in the past 24 hours? You are not alone. The Blackberry server crash caused millions of BB users to loose their data and emails. Its bad enough for RIM in the past 2 quarters, failures and outages such as these would encourage another million to switch to the apparent device of the time.

The services seems to be restored as of now.

October 11, 2011