Research In Motion
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Research In Motion Limited | |
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| Type | Public TSX: RIM, NASDAQ: RIMM |
|---|---|
| Founded | Waterloo, Ontario (1984) |
| Headquarters | Waterloo, Ontario |
| Key people | Mike Lazaridis, Founder and co-CEO Jim Balsillie, co-CEO Dennis Kavelman, CFO |
| Industry | wireless handheld communication products |
| Products | BlackBerry, Inter@ctive pager |
| Revenue |  US$2.07 billion (fiscal 2005) |
| Employees | 4,000 (Q2 2006) |
| Slogan | Always On, Always Connected |
| Website | www.rim.com |
Research In Motion Limited (RIM) (TSX: RIM, NASDAQ: RIMM) is a Canadian wireless device company. It is best known as the developer of the BlackBerry handheld communication device.
RIM is headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario, and is a sponsor of RIM Park in the northeast of the city. It was founded by Mike Lazaridis, who currently serves as its co-CEO along with Jim Balsillie.
RIM develops its own software for its devices, using C++ and Java technology. RIM also develops and sells embedded wireless data components.
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[edit] History
Based in Waterloo, Ontario, Mike Lazaridis, a former University of Waterloo student, co-founded RIM in 1984. Prior to the manufacture of the BlackBerry, RIM worked with RAM Mobile Data and Ericsson to turn the Ericsson-developed Mobitex wireless data network into a two-way paging and wireless e-mail network. Pivotal in this development was the release of the Inter@ctive pager 950, which started shipping in August 1998. About the size of a bar of soap, this device competed against the SkyTel two-way paging network developed by Motorola.
The first BlackBerry was released in early 1999, using the same hardware as the Inter@ctive pager 950, and running on the Mobitex network. BlackBerry was successful early on because it did something no other wireless email device had done to that point. With this device, RIM solved the "two mailbox" problem, which previously required having a wireless mailbox and a corporate mailbox. Here RIM provided a "one mailbox" solution with a combination of their proprietary devices, middleware software (BlackBerry Enterprise Server) and a network operations center (NOC) located in Canada that retrieves e-mail using triple DES encryption and "pushes" it to connected devices. BlackBerry's success has helped change the way many in the business world communicate, being "always on, always connected."
The first BlackBerry integrating a cell phone, as well as the first BlackBerry sold outside of North America was released in 2001, using the European GSM / GPRS standard.
Since then, RIM has released a variety of devices running on GSM, CDMA, and Motorola iDEN networks. The ubiquity of these BlackBerry devices in the corporate environment and the compulsive use of its ability to quickly send and receive e-mail has earned it the nickname "Crackberry" as users feel they can not live without it.
[edit] Patent litigation
RIM v Glenayre
In 2001, Research in Motion sued competitor Glenayre Electronics[1] Inc for patent infringement, partly in response to an earlier infringement suit filed by Glenayre against RIM. RIM sought an injunction to prevent Glenayre from infringing RIM's patents.[2] The suit was ultimately settled.
NTP v RIM
In 2002, Research in Motion was sued for patent infringement by NTP in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. During their defense, RIM attempted to show that NTP's patents were invalid as wireless email technology existed at the time NTP filed their patent applications. To illustrate its claim, RIM performed a demonstration to the court. Certain elements of that demonstration were established to be from after the priority dates of the patents in question and so the demonstration was not considered by the jury. The patents were found valid and willfully infringed and damages were assessed at $US 23 million dollars.[3]. RIM appealed against the finding that the infringement was willful, but were unsuccessful (a finding of willful infringement can lead to higher damages than mere infringement).
During the appeals, RIM discovered new prior art that raised a "substantial new question of patentability" and filed for a reexamination of the patents of the NTP patents in the United States Patent and Trademark Office. That reexamination is conducted separately to the court cases for infringement. In February 2006, the USPTO rejected all of NTP's claims in three disputed patents. NTP has appealed the decision, and the reexamination process is still outgoing as of July 2006 (See NTP, Inc. for details).
On 3 March 2006, RIM announced that it had settled its BlackBerry patent dispute with NTP. Under the terms of the settlement, RIM has agreed to pay NTP US$612.5 million in a “full and final settlement of all claims.” In a statement, RIM said that “all terms of the agreement have been finalized and the litigation against RIM has been dismissed by a court order this afternoon. The agreement eliminates the need for any further court proceedings or decisions relating to damages or injunctive relief.”
RIM v Visto On May 1, 2006, RIM was sued by Visto for patent infringement.
[edit] Competition
Middleware
- Good Technology
- Palm
- Visto
- Consilient
- Apple's iPhone
- Motorola
- Nokia
Platform/OS
[edit] References
- ^ Glenayre Electronics home page, http://www.glenayremessaging.com/messaging/
- ^ RIM press release, May 17, 2001, "Research In Motion Files Wireless Patent Complaint Against Glenayre Electronics, Inc.", http://www.rim.net/news/press/2001/pr-17_05_2001-02.shtml
- ^ Barrie McKenna, Paul Waldie and Simon Avery, Globe and Mail, February 21, 2006, "Patently Absurd: The inside story of RIM's wireless war, http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060221.wpatentlyabsured-rim21/BNStory/RIM2006/home?pageRequested=all&print=true
- Research In Motion Reports Fourth Quarter And Year-End Results For Fiscal 2005
- Research In Motion 2005 Annual Report
[edit] External links
- Research In Motion Website
- BlackBerry Technology Website
- BlackBerry Forums - Asia Pacific The Professionals in BlackBerry Support
- Businessweek.com: Visto sues RIM for patent infringement
- GPXS BlackBerry GPXS, BlackBerry Alliance Partner of Research in Motion
