RIMarkable » Press Release

BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express Officially Announced

Robb Dunewood — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:41:08 +0000

Research in Motion has officially introduced BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express, a free version of BES intended for small to medium sized businesses running Microsoft Exchange. BES Express is expected to ship in March and works on Exchange 2003, 2007, and 2010 as well as Microsoft Small Business Server 2003 and 2008.

Press Release:

RIM Introduces BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express

Free New BlackBerry Software for Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft Windows Small Business Server Allows Companies to Empower All Employees with Wireless Access to Their Corporate Email Without Compromising Security or Manageability

Waterloo, ON – Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today introduced BlackBerry® Enterprise Server Express – free new server software that wirelessly and securely synchronizes BlackBerry® smartphones with Microsoft® Exchange or Microsoft® Windows® Small Business Server.

The new BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express software will be provided free of charge in order to address two key market opportunities. First, the software offers economical advantages to small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) that desire the enterprise-grade security and manageability of BlackBerry® Enterprise Server but don’t require all of its advanced features. Second, more and more consumers are purchasing BlackBerry smartphones and the free BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express software provides a cost-effective solution that enables IT departments to meet the growing demand from employees to be able to connect their personal BlackBerry smartphones to their work email.

BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express works with Microsoft Exchange 2010, 2007 and 2003 and Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2008 and 2003 to provide users with secure, push-based, wireless access to email, calendar, contacts, notes and tasks, as well as other business applications and enterprise systems behind the firewall. Importantly, the new server software utilizes the same robust security architecture found in BlackBerry Enterprise Server.

“Today we are announcing an exciting new offering that further expands the market opportunity for the BlackBerry platform,” said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO, Research In Motion. “In a marketplace where smartphones are becoming ubiquitous, BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express significantly raises the bar by providing a cost-effective solution that allows companies of all sizes to support enterprise-grade mobile connectivity for all employees without compromising security or manageability.”

With BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express connected to Microsoft Exchange or Microsoft Windows Small Business Server, BlackBerry smartphone users will be able to:

Wirelessly synchronize their email, calendar, contacts, notes and tasks
Manage email folders and search email on the mail server remotely
Book meetings and appointments, check availability and forward calendar attachments
Set an out-of-office reply
Edit Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files using Documents To Go®
Access files stored on the company network
Use mobile applications to access business systems behind the firewall

For IT administrators, BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express also offers the following:

Runs on the same physical or virtual server as the Microsoft mail server or on its own server. BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express is also certified for use with VMware ESX
Over 35 IT controls and policies, including the ability to remotely wipe a smartphone and enforce and reset passwords
A Web-based interface that allows remote administration and makes it easy to install the software, connect BlackBerry smartphones and apply usage policies

BlackBerry® Enterprise Server v5 continues to be the recommended solution for deployments that require additional security policies, monitoring features or high availability. BlackBerry Enterprise Server also continues to be required for certain other enterprise solutions such as BlackBerry® Mobile Voice System (for bringing desk phone functionality to BlackBerry smartphones), BlackBerry® Clients for Microsoft® Office Communications Server and IBM® Lotus® Sametime® (for enterprise instant messaging), IBM Lotus Connections (for enterprise social networking), IBM Lotus Quickr™ (for document sharing and collaboration), and Chalk® Pushcast Software (for corporate podcasting).

BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express is expected to be available as a free download in March. For more information, visit www.blackberry.com/besexpress.

About Research In Motion (RIM)
Research In Motion is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of innovative wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market. Through the development of integrated hardware, software and services that support multiple wireless network standards, RIM provides platforms and solutions for seamless access to time-sensitive information including email, phone, SMS messaging, Internet and intranet-based applications. RIM technology also enables a broad array of third party developers and manufacturers to enhance their products and services with wireless connectivity. RIM’s portfolio of award-winning products, services and embedded technologies are used by thousands of organizations around the world and include the BlackBerry wireless platform, the RIM Wireless Handheld™ product line, software development tools, radio-modems and software/hardware licensing agreements. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, RIM operates offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. RIM is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market (NASDAQ: RIMM) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RIM). For more information, visit www.rim.com or www.blackberry.com.

Forward-looking statements in this news release are made pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used herein, words such as “intend” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions made by and information available to Research In Motion Limited. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, possible product defects and product liability, risks related to international sales and potential foreign currency exchange fluctuations, the initiation or outcome of litigation, acts or potential acts of terrorism, international conflicts, significant fluctuations of quarterly operating results, changes in Canadian and foreign laws and regulations, continued acceptance of RIM’s products, increased levels of competition, technological changes and the successful development of new products, dependence on third-party networks to provide services, dependence on intellectual property rights, and other risks and factors detailed from time to time in RIM’s periodic reports filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, and other regulatory authorities. RIM has no intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and trademarks of Research In Motion Limited. RIM, Research In Motion and BlackBerry are registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be pending or registered in other countries. All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners. RIM assumes no obligations or liability and makes no representation, warranty, endorsement or guarantee in relation to any aspect of any third party products or services.

BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express Officially Announced is a post from: RIMarkable

Thumbplay Music Beta Launches

Robb Dunewood — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:41:16 +0000

THUMBPLAY FORGES 20 NEW CONTENT DEALS FOR JUST-LAUNCHED THUMBPLAY MUSIC; 8 MILLION TRACKS NOW UNDER LICENSE FOR THE CLOUD-BASED, ON-DEMAND SERVICE

NEW YORK – 3 February 2010 – Thumbplay (www.thumbplay.com), the leading mobile entertainment company in the U.S., has forged agreements with 20 new content partners for its new Thumbplay Music application. The number of tracks currently under license for the service now exceeds 8 million. Included in the latest round of content deals for the app are: Beggars Group, Merge Records, Redeye Distribution and Tunecore. The announcement comes just weeks after Thumbplay announced the service’s Private Beta launch with content from Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group and EMI Music as well as CD Baby, INgrooves, IODA and The Orchard. Thumbplay Music is a cloud-based, subscription music service that provides unlimited, on-demand access to millions of songs. It is a next generation music service, built by experts in mobile content delivery, to serve the rapidly growing market of U.S. smartphone users, which is forecasted to grow to 160 million people by 2013.**

Thumbplay also announced today that it has closed deals with: AWAL; BFM Digital; DashGo; Dig Dis; E1 Music; Finetunes; IRIS; Nettwerk; Nu Urban; Oseao; Rebeat Digital; Record Union; RouteNote; Sundesire Records, Symphonic Distribution and The state51Conspiracy. As of today, Thumbplay includes more than 25,000 independent labels and more than 75,000 do-it-yourself artists.

Currently, Thumbplay Music is available by invitation-only (request at http://music.thumbplay.com) on select BlackBerry^® Smartphones* and on PCs/Macs^® through a downloadable Adobe^®AIR^® desktop version. The app is scheduled to launch widely to consumers within the first quarter of 2010 and will be available on Android, iPhone and additional BlackBerry smartphones.

Evan Schwartz, Thumbplay CEO and Co-Founder said, “Our goal is to offer music fans the widest selection possible – spanning every genre out there – and to provide an effortless way to discover new artists. I believe the speed with which we’ve been able to close deals for Thumbplay Music speaks to the strength of the app and the great need for a full service, on-demand and portable music experience.”

According to Simon Wheeler, Director of Digital at Beggars Group, “We are extremely proud to include our artists and labels in the new Thumbplay Music service. It delivers on its promise of a great experience for music fans wherever they listen to music. Whether on their smartphones or at their computers, fans of our artists and labels, including 4AD, Matador, Rough Trade and XL Recordings, can listen to new releases the minute they are available. This includes the recent USA number one album from Vampire Weekend as well as Cat Power, The National, The xx and Jarvis Cocker and more great artists from our catalogue like The Pixies, The Cult, Interpol and The Prodigy. Thumbplay Music is a great music service for fans of our original, creative music.”

Redeye Marketing Director, Josh Wittman, added, “Thumbplay Music is a big win for music fans–‘must-have’ tunes are always at hand, and it is a great music discovery tool. You’ll soon be able to find and play music from all of our artists including Liam Finn, Nick Lowe, Robyn Hitchcock, Elliott Smith, The Decemberists, Gossip, DeVotchKa, The Black Keys, Laura Veirs, The Annuals and Pelican–and all right on your phone and PC. We’re delivering content from all of the Redeye labels, including Yep Roc, Luaka Bop, Kill Rock Stars, Ace Fu, Hydra Head, Bomp/Alive and Sargent House. We’re thrilled to be on board with a next generation music service that is worthy of the fans of our great music.”

Thumbplay Music includes its own in-app media player and boasts several compelling features, including:

· Unlimited, on-demand access to any artist or album; includes millions of high-quality songs
· Online and offline smartphone access, listen to music without Wi-Fi^® or network connection. Whether underground or mid-flight, playlists are available for listening offline–delivering true portability
· Effortless playlist creation; add songs or albums to playlists which automatically, wirelessly synchronize across PC, Mac and Smartphone devices
· AutoPlaylist – Instantly generate expert recommendations based on favorite songs; a great way to discover new music
· iTunes^® playlist re-creation within Thumbplay Music’s desktop app. With a few clicks, recreate iTunes playlists and have them available on your PC and smartphone.
· Search – Find music by artist, song, album or genre; includes free previews of all songs
· Favorites – a quick, intuitive way to build a personal music collection that automatically synchronizes between smartphones and the desktop app

The Thumbplay Music service will include a free, three-day trial of its unlimited, on-demand service. Following the trial period, subscriptions are $9.99 per month.
Thumbplay, which enjoys sustained profitability, has built an award-winning service centered on delivering millions of pieces of mobile content to 95 percent of U.S. devices among every major carrier. Thumbplay will leverage its existing network of more than 8,000 distribution partners to promote Thumbplay Music.

ABOUT THUMBPLAY

Thumbplay, Inc. is defining the mobile entertainment experience for U.S. consumers. Thumbplay.com features licensed music, video and games from some of the world’s largest entertainment companies, including: EMI, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group, as well as several independent labels and artists and video game companies. Headquartered in New York City, Thumbplay was founded in September 2004 by Are Traasdahl and Evan Schwartz. Investors include Bain Capital Ventures, SoftBank Capital, i-Hatch Ventures, Redwood Partners, New Enterprise Associates, Meritech, Brookside Capital Partners and Cross Creek Capital. More information can be found at www.thumbplay.com or at m.thumbplay.com from a mobile phone.

# # #

All trademarks property of their respective owners. No partnerships implied. The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and trademarks of Research In Motion Limited.

Thumbplay Music Beta Launches is a post from: RIMarkable

RIM Launches BlackBerry Clients For Lotus Quickr And Lotus Connections

Robb Dunewood — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 20:46:44 +0000

Today at Lotusphere 2010 Research in Motion launched two new BlackBerry applications, one for IBM Lotus Quickr and one for IBM Lotus Connections, that will allow secure mobile collaboration and social networking on the BlackBerry platform. The new BlackBerry clients are respectively called BlackBerry Client for IBM Lotus Quickr and BlackBerry Client for for IBM Lotus Connections.

RIM Further Mobilizes IBM Lotus Software on the BlackBerry Platform

New BlackBerry Apps for IBM Lotus Quickr and Lotus Connections Allow Secure Mobile Collaboration and Social Networking on BlackBerry Smartphones

ORLANDO, FL – Lotusphere – To support the growing interest by enterprises for mobile collaboration and social networking, Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today announced that it is further mobilizing IBM (NYSE: IBM) Lotus® Software on the BlackBerry® platform.

RIM is launching today the new BlackBerry® Client for IBM Lotus® Quickr®, enabling secure mobile access to IBM’s document-based collaboration software from BlackBerry® smartphones. RIM is also releasing a new version of the BlackBerry® Client for IBM Lotus® Connections® for enterprise social networking. These applications, along with the BlackBerry® Client for IBM Lotus® Sametime® for unified communications and collaboration, deliver secure, deeply integrated and intuitive mobile experiences for enterprise customers on the BlackBerry platform.

“Just as RIM securely and efficiently mobilized Lotus Domino email on the BlackBerry platform, we are mobilizing collaboration and social networking for businesses,” said David Yach, CTO for Software at Research In Motion. “We have built these powerful BlackBerry applications for Lotus Software in order to make it very easy for mobile workers to tap into their enterprise knowledge-bases and stay connected with colleagues; and, equally important, we have made it easy for IT departments to align with corporate policies and efficiently deliver these capabilities in a protected and manageable environment.”

The BlackBerry Client for IBM Lotus Quickr makes content sharing easy and secure. BlackBerry smartphone users can quickly and easily navigate IBM Lotus Quickr libraries and folders; upload, preview or download content; and edit files within Quickr’s version controls. The application also tightly integrates with the BlackBerry Email application and the Documents To Go® suite on a BlackBerry smartphone – allowing users to edit Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files – for a robust and seamless work experience.

The BlackBerry Client for IBM Lotus Connections extends key IBM Lotus Connections components to BlackBerry smartphones, including the ability to work with IBM Lotus Connections Profiles, Communities, Bookmarks, Activities and Blogs. The Client also tightly integrates with core BlackBerry smartphone applications for phone, email, browser, tasks, contacts and camera to create a seamless and intuitive user experience.

Updates to the server component – the BlackBerry Social Networking Application Proxy server – optimizes the data sent between IBM Lotus Connections or IBM Lotus Quickr and BlackBerry smartphones in order to improve performance and minimize data plan usage. Administrators can also generate usage reports.

The BlackBerry applications for IBM Lotus Quickr and Lotus Connections offer a range of benefits to enterprise customers including:

Fast access to information – There’s no need to launch the browser and log in, and no time spent waiting for web pages to render.
Optimized for mobile use – The BlackBerry Clients are deeply integrated with core applications in the smartphone for a seamless and intuitive experience.
Multitasking – The BlackBerry smartphone OS allows multiple applications to run at the same time, which makes them ideal for social networking and collaboration while mobile.
Market-leading end-to-end security – Integration with BlackBerry® Enterprise Server provides very strong encryption and high security standards, a top requirement by CIOs for the use of social networking and collaboration solutions in the enterprise.
Mobile application management – Leveraging the over-the-air application push capabilities, robust IT policies and advanced controls of BlackBerry® Enterprise Server, IT departments can save a tremendous amount of time when deploying these apps, especially when deployments involve hundreds or thousands of users.

For more information about BlackBerry apps for IBM Lotus software, visit www.blackberry.com/go/lotus.

RIM Launches BlackBerry Clients For Lotus Quickr And Lotus Connections is a post from: RIMarkable

Chalk Media Rebrands And Updates Mobile ChalkBoard… Now Chalk Pushcast Software

Robb Dunewood — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 12:52:24 +0000

Research in Motion subsidiary, Chalk Media, yesterday announced Chalk Pushcast Software 5.4, the latest and newly branded release of Mobile chalkboard, which facilitates a trackable and secure communication channel for delivering audio- and video-rich content to BlackBerry smartphones.

Chalk Announces Chalk Pushcast Software for the BlackBerry Enterprise Solution

Features Advanced Manageability, Enhanced Security, and Support for the Latest BlackBerry Smartphones

Waterloo, ON – Chalk Media Service Corp. (Chalk), a subsidiary of Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM), today announced Chalk™ Pushcast™ Software 5.4 – the latest and newly branded release of Mobile chalkboard™, which facilitates a trackable and secure communication channel for delivering audio- and video-rich content to BlackBerry® smartphones

Chalk Pushcast Software 5.4 features a new look and feel to the Chalk™ Pushcast™ Player; deeper integration with BlackBerry® Enterprise Server for streamlined manageability; SSL security for web access; and support for BlackBerry OS 5.0, which enables organizations to push multimedia-rich content to the latest BlackBerry smartphones, including the BlackBerry® Bold™ 9700, BlackBerry® Storm2™ 9550, and BlackBerry® Curve™ 8520 smartphones.

“We are building deeper integration between our award-winning solution and the BlackBerry platform – the corporate standard for enterprise mobility – to deliver a truly secure, easy to manage solution for pushing impactful training, compliance and corporate content to BlackBerry smartphones,” said Jody Glidden, Director at Chalk. “With this combination, Chalk Pushcast Software is significantly raising the bar for secure mobile learning for business.”

Chalk Pushcast Software consists of four main components – the Chalk™ Pushcast™ Console, the Chalk™ Pushcast™ Player for BlackBerry smartphones, the Chalk™ Pushcast™ Desktop Player, and Chalk™ Pushcast™ Tools – including the Chalk™ Pushcast™ Plug-in for Microsoft® PowerPoint® and the Chalk™ Pushcast™ Policy Pack.

Administration-based enhancements in Chalk Pushcast Software version 5.4 include:

BlackBerry Enterprise Server User Synchronization - Enables administrators to synchronize their BlackBerry Enterprise Server database with the Chalk Pushcast Console (Console) database for streamlined user management. Administrators can also set polling intervals that determine how often the BlackBerry Enterprise Server software will synchronize with the Console for additions, modifications and deletions.

Podcasting Channels - Administrators can now use Chalk Pushcast Software to push video- or audio-based corporate RSS feeds to individuals or groups via a specific ‘podcasting channel’ in the Chalk Pushcast Player. Administrators can also lock channels from being unsubscribed if necessary, and create a list of approved opt-in RSS feeds for users.

End User Controls for Chalk Pushcast Policies – Users now have the ability to set policies in the Chalk Pushcast Policy Pack from their BlackBerry smartphones to control how and when the Player downloads content. Policies can be set for Wi-Fi usage, bandwidth usage and roaming. Previously, only administrators had access to the Policy Pack (via the Console). Users cannot override policies set by the IT administrator.

SSL Security - Secure Socket Layer (SSL) security is applied to all Chalk Pushcast Software web services, including content publishing and data transfer to and from BlackBerry smartphones.

The new Chalk Pushcast Software works with BlackBerry Enterprise Server version 4.1 and above and BlackBerry smartphones running BlackBerry OS 4.6 and above.

About Chalk Media Service Corp. (Chalk)
Chalk’s award-winning BlackBerry application lets organizations push media-rich content to BlackBerry smartphone users wirelessly, enhancing productivity and improving employee efficiency. Chalk Pushcast Software delivers protected, tracked content to BlackBerry smartphones for training, compliance, corporate updates, and more. Chalk Media Corp. is a subsidiary of Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM; TSX: RIM). For more information, visit www.chalk.com.

Chalk, Pushcast and Mobile chalkboard are trademarks of Chalk Media Service Corp. The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and trademarks of Research In Motion Limited. RIM, Research In Motion and BlackBerry are registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be pending or registered in other countries. All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners. Chalk and RIM assume no obligations or liability and make no representation, warranty, endorsement or guarantee in relation to any aspect of any third party products or services.

[Source]

Chalk Media Rebrands And Updates Mobile ChalkBoard… Now Chalk Pushcast Software is a post from: RIMarkable

PayPal Announces “Send Money” Application For BlackBerry

Robb Dunewood — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:02:39 +0000

PayPal today announced that its mobile Send Money application is now available for BlackBerry. According to the press release, the new PayPal Send Money application should be listed on BlackBerry App World, however, we have not been able to find it yet. Unfortunately,there was not an OTA download link listed.

Any BlackBerry smartphone user who has bought an application on their phone is already familiar with PayPal, as we provide the payment system for BlackBerry App World,” said Eric Duprat, general manager of PayPal Mobile. “We’re thrilled that BlackBerry smartphone users now have an easy way to send money to almost anyone with a phone number or email address anywhere in the world, directly from their phones.

Read the full press release after the jump…

Press Release

TORONTO, Dec. 16 /CNW/ – PayPal today announced that its mobile “Send Money” application is now available for BlackBerry(R) smartphones.

The PayPal application is free to download from BlackBerry App World(TM) (www.blackberry.com/appworld) and makes it easy for BlackBerry smartphone owners to send money quickly to friends and family around the world from their PayPal accounts.

“Any BlackBerry smartphone user who has bought an application on their phone is already familiar with PayPal, as we provide the payment system for BlackBerry App World,” said Eric Duprat, general manager of PayPal Mobile. “We’re thrilled that BlackBerry smartphone users now have an easy way to send money to almost anyone with a phone number or email address anywhere in the world, directly from their phones.”

PayPal is a leader in safer online payments with more than 78 million active accounts in 190 markets around the world. This global reach, paired with the international popularity of BlackBerry smartphones, will enable a safer and easy way to send mobile payments. Users can send money to anyone in their contact list, eliminating the need to remember email addresses and phone numbers. Users can also check their recent history and account balance directly from their BlackBerry smartphone.

The PayPal application is free to download and use, and is available on BlackBerry App World in Canada, USA, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Ireland, Portugal and Australia.

About PayPal

PayPal is the faster, safer way to pay and get paid online. The service allows members to send money without sharing financial information, with the flexibility to pay using their account balances, bank accounts, credit cards or promotional financing. With more than 78 million active accounts in 190 markets and 24 currencies around the world, PayPal enables global ecommerce. PayPal is an eBay company and is made up of three leading online payment services: the PayPal global payment service, the Payflow Gateway and Bill Me Later. The company’s open payment platform, PayPal X, allows developers to build innovative payment applications on multiple platforms and devices. More information about the company can be found at https://www.paypal.ca.

The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and trademarks of Research In Motion Limited.

For further information

Media Contacts: Chris Conrath, on behalf of PayPal, cconrath@environicspr.com, (416) 969-2716

PayPal Announces “Send Money” Application For BlackBerry is a post from: RIMarkable

RIM Announces BlackBerry Distribution Deal In Mainland China

Robb Dunewood — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 12:59:34 +0000

BEIJING (Reuters) – Digital China, a Hong Kong-listed information technology company, is to distribute Research In Motion’s Blackberry handsets, accelerating RIM’s effort to expand into mainland China.

The agreement will “help RIM further expand its business in China” by giving it access to Digital China’s national distribution network, the two companies said on Monday.

The Blackberry phone and email device is still a relatively uncommon sight in China, in spite of being available for several years.

“Digital China’s extensive knowledge and market presence will further expand the opportunity for RIM in China,” Jim Balsillie, the co-CEO of RIM, said in a statement sent to reporters.

Digital China is a unit of Legend Holdings, which is also the parent company of PC maker Lenovo.

China Telecom, one of the country’s top three mobile carriers, said in June it had approached RIM about possibly offering the BlackBerry mobile service in China.

Executives from RIM and China Mobile, the world’s biggest mobile carrier by subscribers, are due to hold a news conference in Beijing on Tuesday about plans to strengthen cooperation in China.

China Mobile has offered BlackBerry devices in China since 2006, but has not strongly promoted the service.

China’s other major mobile carrier, Unicom, has also said in the past that it was in talks with RIM about offering the BlackBerry service.

(Reporting by Chris Buckley and Simon Rabinovitch; editing by John Stonestreet and Simon Jessop)

RIM Announces BlackBerry Distribution Deal In Mainland China is a post from: RIMarkable

RIM To Buy Back $1.2 Billion Worth Of Common Stock

Robb Dunewood — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:34:36 +0000

For those of you that follow Research in Motions stock price, you know that it has been rough for the the Waterloo, Ontario based company over the passed 5 or 6 weeks. Back on September 23rd, RIM’s stock (RIMM) was up over $88 per share. Yesterday it closed at $57.61.

That being said, RIM’s board has approved a stock repurchase of common shares valuing up to $1.2 billion. That comes to about 21 million shares based on current market prices. RIM can commence with the repurchase starting next Monday, Nov. 9th.

I am not an investment professional, nor do I offer financial advice. I guarantee, however, this will be discussed heavily on CNBC today, so, you may want to tune in.

[Source]

RIM To Buy Back $1.2 Billion Worth Of Common Stock is a post from: RIMarkable

Verizon Officially Announces BlackBerry Curve 8530… Available November 20th

Robb Dunewood — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:52:08 +0000

Research in Motion and Verizon Wireless officially announced the BlackBerry Curve 8530. The device will be available November 20th and will cost $99.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a 2-year activation. My guess is that the new BlackBerry Curve will pick up right where the old BlackBerry Curve left off and become a big seller for Verizon.

The big new feature in the BlackBerry Curve 8520 is most definitely the Wi-Fi and this device will be the first full QWERTY BlackBerry with Wi-Fi on Verizon’s network. For some strange reason RIM decided not to include a LED flash to go along with the digital camera, although it is only 2.0 mega pixels and probably really doesn’t matter that much.

The BlackBerry Curve 8530 is definitely geared towards consumers and will probably do very well with them because of the price and the success of it’s predecessor, the BlackBerry Curve 83xx, which happens to be the best selling BlackBerry device ever.

Check out a detailed list of BlackBerry Curve 8530 features after the jump:

Easy-to-use, highly tactile, full QWERTY keyboard and touch-sensitive trackpad for reliable, responsive typing and navigation
256 MB flash memory and 528 MHz next generation processor for enhanced performance
Supports voice-activated dialing and Bluetooth® (version 2.1), with support for hands-free headsets, car kits, stereo headsets and other Bluetooth peripherals
3G-enabled (EV-DO)
Built-in Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g)
GPS with support for location-based applications, including geotagging pictures and Verizon Wireless’ VZ NavigatorSM service
2.0 megapixel digital camera with zoom and video recording*
Advanced media player for music, pictures and videos, with dedicated media keys and a 3.5 mm stereo headset jack, plus BlackBerry® Media Sync, which makes it easy to quickly sync music from your computer to the smartphone**
Access to BlackBerry App World™, featuring a broad and growing catalog of third-party mobile applications developed specifically for BlackBerry® smartphones. Categories include games, entertainment, social networking and sharing, news and weather, productivity and much more
Access to e-mail, messaging (IM, SMS, MMS) and popular social networking sites (including Facebook and MySpace)
Rich multimedia capabilities, including dedicated media keys smoothly integrated along the top of the handset, giving customers an easy, convenient way to control their music and videos
Support for BlackBerry services with access to up to 10 supported e-mail accounts, including most popular ISP e-mail accounts such as Yahoo! ®, Windows Live™ Hotmail®, AOL® and Gmail, and BlackBerry® Enterprise Server support, which provides advanced security and IT administration features for corporate deployments
Expandable memory via hot swappable microSD™/SDHC memory card slot, supporting up to 16 GB cards today and expected to support next generation 32 GB cards when available

[Source]

Verizon Officially Announces BlackBerry Curve 8530… Available November 20th is a post from: RIMarkable

BlackBerry Curve 8520 Launches On Rogers In Canada

Robb Dunewood — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:30:19 +0000

Research in Motion and Rogers today announced the availability of the BlackBerry Curve 8520. It will cost you $99.99 on any three-year combined data and voice service plan of $45 or more per month. Today the BlackBerry Curve 8520 is available from Rogers in Black, however, it will be available in violet in the coming weeks.

You can read the entire press release here.

BlackBerry Curve 8520 Launches On Rogers In Canada is a post from: RIMarkable