Research In Motion

Research In Motion
Michael Pereira · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Name	Research In Motion
Type	Public
Traded as	NASDAQ: RIMM, TSX: RIM
Foundation	07 March 1984 in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Founder	Mike Lazaridis, Douglas Fregin
Defunct	09 July 2013
Fate	Rebranded as BlackBerry Limited
Location	Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Key people	Mike Lazaridis (Co-CEO), Jim Balsillie (Co-CEO), Thorsten Heins (CEO)
Industry	Telecommunications
Products	BlackBerry smartphones, BlackBerry Enterprise Server, BlackBerry OS

Research In Motion. It was a pioneering Canadian telecommunications and wireless equipment company best known for developing the iconic BlackBerry line of smartphones and its secure enterprise services. Founded in 1984, the company became a dominant force in mobile communications, particularly within the corporate and government sectors, before facing a precipitous decline in the late 2000s. The company ultimately ceased using the Research In Motion name in 2013, rebranding itself as BlackBerry Limited to reflect its primary product.

History

The company was founded on March 7, 1984, in Waterloo, Ontario, by engineering students Mike Lazaridis and Douglas Fregin. Its early work involved developing technology for film scanners and digital signage, including a contract with General Motors. A pivotal moment came in 1992 with the hiring of Jim Balsillie, who provided crucial financing and became co-CEO alongside Lazaridis. The company's first major breakthrough was the Inter@ctive Pager 900, released in 1996, which featured two-way paging and email capabilities. This device laid the groundwork for the first BlackBerry device, the 850 Wireless Handheld, launched in 1999, which integrated secure push email and an iconic physical QWERTY keyboard. Rapid growth through the early 2000s was fueled by the addictive nature of its messaging service, dubbed the "CrackBerry," and its adoption by major corporations, the U.S. government, and Wall Street.

Products and services

The core product line was the BlackBerry smartphone, which evolved through series like the Pearl, Curve, Bold, and Storm. These devices were renowned for their secure BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) architecture, which encrypted data between corporate servers and handsets, a feature highly valued by entities like the National Security Agency. Key services included BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), a proprietary instant messaging platform with PIN-to-PIN messaging, and the BlackBerry Internet Service for consumers. The company also developed its operating systems, BlackBerry OS and the later BlackBerry 10 platform, and operated the BlackBerry App World storefront. Beyond handsets, it offered software such as BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express and the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet.

Corporate affairs

For much of its history, the company had a unique dual-CEO structure with Mike Lazaridis overseeing product development and Jim Balsillie managing business operations and finance. It was publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ under the symbol RIMM. The board of directors included figures like John Wetmore and Barbara Stymiest. The company's headquarters remained in its birthplace of Waterloo, Ontario, where it was a major employer and benefactor to institutions like the University of Waterloo and the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. A significant corporate crisis occurred in 2011 when service outages affected millions of users globally, damaging the brand's reputation for reliability.

Technology and patents

The company was built on proprietary technology, most notably the efficient use of radio spectrum and compression techniques for its push email system. Its secure network infrastructure relied on the patented National Institute of Standards and Technology-certified encryption protocols managed through its own Network Operations Centres. It held a vast portfolio of patents covering areas like wireless communication, user interfaces for mobile devices, and keyboard designs. This portfolio became a significant asset, leading to both defensive litigation and lucrative licensing agreements with companies like Microsoft and Cisco Systems. Key patents involved the seamless integration of email with cellular networks, which were foundational to its early dominance.

Decline and transition

The company's decline accelerated following the 2007 launch of Apple's iPhone and the subsequent rise of Google's Android platform, which offered more versatile app ecosystems and touch-centric interfaces. Failed product launches like the BlackBerry Storm and the delayed BlackBerry 10 operating system eroded market share. In January 2012, Lazaridis and Balsillie stepped down as co-CEOs, replaced by Thorsten Heins. Despite a last-ditch effort with the BlackBerry Z10, mounting losses led to a strategic review. In January 2013, Heins announced the company would explore alternatives, culminating in its privatization and the appointment of John S. Chen as executive chairman. On July 9, 2013, the company officially rebranded as BlackBerry Limited, retiring the Research In Motion name to focus on software and security under its globally recognized product brand.

Category:BlackBerry Category:Defunct telecommunications companies of Canada Category:Companies based in Waterloo, Ontario Category:Technology companies established in 1984