As interest in defunct kit maker Nortel’s patent portfolio heightens, the US Department of Justice (DoJ) is reported to be taking a close interest in the bidders. Apple is the latest company reported to be interested in making a purchase after Google opened bidding with a $900m offer in April. Now the DoJ is said to be concerned that the patents will be used to stymie competition in the telecoms sector.
Microsoft seems to be on a roll at the moment, this week adding Canadian Blackberry maker Research In Motion to its lengthening list of partners. The deal announced this week makes Microsoft’s Bing the default search engine and mapping tool on Blackberry handsets, but the appearance of Steve Ballmer alongside RIM CEO Mike Lazaridis at the Blackberry World conference in Orlando, set tongues wagging.
Blackberry maker Research In Motion is expanding the reach of its enterprise offering known as Blackberry Enterprise Server (BES) to more smartphone platforms, including iOS and Android. The development is being supported by RIM’s acquisition of mobile device management firm, Ubitexx.
Google’s bid to buy $900m worth of Nortel patents and patent applications was approved on Monday. The planned sale required the approval of courts overseeing Nortel’s bankruptcy proceedings in Canada and the US. Under the terms of the auction, other parties may submit bids until June 13th, with the auction taking place on June 20th. Nortel filed for bankruptcy protection in 2009.
Research In Motion (RIM) began its foray into the tablet market late Tuesday, as the BlackBerry Playbook hit shelves in North America. The tablet met with mixed reviews, initially targeted at the large and small enterprise space (much like the original BlackBerry), yet at present lacking full email, calendar and contacts functionality. RIM said a software update is due in a few weeks.
Rumours that Google is planning to launch an iTunes rival optimised for Android will no doubt be further fuelled by its acquisition of Canadian start-up PushLife. Founded by former Research in Motion employee, Ray Reddy, in 2008, PushLife offers software that allows users to synch non-Apple devices with the iTunes platform.
Canadian handset manufacturer Research In Motion is expanding the application ecosystem for its BlackBerry Playbook with a software toolset that will allow users to run Android apps on the tablet.
Vodafone UK has launched an enterprise smartphone service allowing corporate customers to manage and secure their data over a range of high end devices. The service, dubbed Smarthphone Professional, uses a solution from mobile security firm Good Technologies, which aims to provide security across a variety of devices at the kind of level that has made RIM’s Blackberry solution so popular with enterprise customers.
Strong sales of Apple’s iPhone during the third quarter have propelled the Californian vendor to fourth place in the global handset vendor rankings, according to data from IDC. While Apple has had a strong position in the smartphone segment since the launch of the first iPhone, this is the first time that it has made the top five in terms of overall shipments.
US mobile systems provider CSC has launched its Patient in Your Pocket mobile system in the UK to enable mobile healthcare professionals to access and update patient information at the point of care using a BlackBerry smartphone.
Canadian BlackBerry manufacturer Research In Motion (RIM) has won a last minute reprieve in the United Arab Emirates, after reaching a mysterious compliance agreement with the local authorities.
Canadian device manufacturer Research In Motion (RIM) jumped on the tablet bandwagon on Tuesday, unveiling the BlackBerry PlayBook at its developer conference in San Francisco.
BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM), which is currently fighting a number of battles over its security policies, has proposed to find a solution to keep its customers and the Indian Government happy. The vendor has also refuted claims that it provides special configurations of its platform for certain countries.
BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM) has acquired mobile software firm Cellmania, which builds app store infrastructure and developer tools for app distribution.
Tuesday’s launch of the BlackBerry 6 OS, Research In Motion’s new flagship operating system and accompanying hero device – the Torch – was overshadowed by ongoing privacy concerns over the RIM network in the Middle East and India.
On Monday morning the Telecoms Regulatory Authority for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced that it had ordered local operators to suspend BlackBerry services from October 11, for breach of telecoms regulations.
US carrier Verizon Wireless rolled its own-branded app store out across more BlackBerry devices this week, intensifying competition in the space and going up against RIM’s own offering.
Bienfait retired from AT&T on a full pension after 22 years with the carrier. But a life of leisure offered little appeal and she joined Research in Motion, the Canadian firm behind the hugely successful Blackberry family of products in January 2007.
Another patent battle has drawn to a close and rather quickly too. Motorola and Research In Motion (RIM) only got stuck into each other in January this year, making six months of legal scuffling a record by some accounts.
Canadian device manufacturer Research In Motion (RIM) has been showing off the next generation of its BlackBerry operating system, following the crowd with lots of touch screen interaction and consumer driven social features.
