Rim

Best known as the developer of the BlackBerry smartphone, Research In Motion (RIM)(TSX: RIM, NASDAQ: RIMM) was founded by Mike Lazaridis (current co-CEO with Jim Balsillie), is a Canadian telecommunication and wireless device company.

Headquartered in Waterloo, Canada, It is a sponsor of RIM Park in the city.

RIM has also worked with RAM Mobile Data and Ericsson to turn Mobitex wireless data network into wireless e-mail network and two-way paging, before manufacturing BlacKBerry. The release of the Inter@ctive pager 950 was pivotal in this development, in August 2000 its shipping started. About the size of a bar of soap, The device gave SkyTel two-way paging network by Motorola a run for its money.

Through a private placement in a privately-held company, Canadian institutional investors financed RIM's early development in 1995. Working Ventures Canadian Fund Inc.'s $5,000,000 (CAD) investment were used to complete RIM's two-way paging system hardware and software. Prior to its initial public offering under the symbol RIM on Toronto Stock Exchange in January, 1998 ; a total of $30,000,000 (CAD) was raised by the company.

RIM has released a variety of devices running on CDMA, Motorola iDEN networks and GSM,. The compulsive use of its ability to quickly send and receive e-mail in the corporate environment, has earned it the nickname "Crackberry" in reference to crack cocaine as users feel they cannot live without it.

A licensing agreement between Research In Motion and Information Appliance Associates will offer the complete version of PocketMac for BlackBerry to Macintosh users free of charge.