Editor’s Note: Related tickers: Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY),
BlackBerry Voted Best Brand By Young South Africans (ItnewsAfrica)
The youth of South Africa has once again independently voted Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) as the ‘Coolest Brand Overall’ in the Sunday Times Generation Next 2013 Brand Survey Awards. Young voters also named BlackBerry the ‘Coolest Cellphone’, and BBM as the ‘Coolest Cellphone App’ for the third year running. The results of the ninth annual Generation Next Brand Survey Awards were announced at an event at Montecasino, Johannesburg last night. The ongoing popularity of the BlackBerry brand among young South Africans is a result of the company’s focus on offering an experience that enables tech-savvy young people to lead increasingly connected lives. Alexandra Zagury, Managing Director for South and Southern Africa at Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) says: “We are delighted that Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) is the coolest brand for the third year in a row and sincerely thank our young fans for their loyalty and support. Smartphones are a lifestyle choice in the youth market, so BlackBerry focuses on designing cool and stylish handhelds that are also packed with excellent features that keep young people engaged and connected, such as BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), social networking and plenty of apps.”
BlackBerry’s Future: Smartphones Or MDM? (CRN)
Is Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY)’s future in mobile device management rather than smartphones? It’s a question worth asking, according to solution providers that believe BlackBerry’s multi-platform BYOD solutions will keep the company viable if its smartphones continue to lose share. At the BlackBerry Live event earlier this month, the company announced several new software features and updates for BlackBerry 10 and BlackBerry Enterprise Services offerings that further expand the solutions to Android and iOS devices. First, the company released version 10.1 of its BlackBerry Enterprise Service (BES) 10, a free download for existing customers that includes tighter controls for managing mobile devices — including Android and iOS — in the commercial market. For example, BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10.1 now offers regulated management of mobile devices and gives IT administrators the option to set policies and controls to restrict personal use of BlackBerry 10 smartphones by blocking personal apps and content. A future update scheduled for this summer will extend that BES capability to iOS and Android devices, too.
BlackBerry makes its pitch to game developers (Calgaryherald)
Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) is betting big on Ottawa-area developers in a bid to succeed during the “golden age of gaming.” The company, which already has a significant software presence in the nation’s capital thanks to an earlier acquisition of QNX Software Systems Inc., has recently moved its global head of video gaming to Ottawa. While Anders Jeppsson will call Ottawa home, he plans to split his time between the city and Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY)’s head offices in Waterloo. Jeppsson said the move will help him to become better acquainted with the burgeoning video game development industry here and also gives him quick access to gaming hubs in Toronto and Montreal. “It really is a vibrant gaming scene here,” said Jeppsson. “We need to be bringing great games to our platform.”
BlackBerry announces third technology centre in Brazil (Telecompaper)
Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) has announced the opening of its third BlackBerry Technology Centre in Brazil in partnership with Empresa Junior de Informatica, Matematica e Estatística of the University of Sao Paulo (USP/IME-Jr). The laboratory was installed at the company’s headquarters in Sao Paulo and should start operating on 01 July. The initiative is part of the Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY)’s global technology centre programme. It already has two other laboratories in the country, one in Maceio, with the Federal University of Alagoas (UFAL), and one in Recife, with the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE). Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY)’s goal is to have at least five centres in Brazil and the next to be announced will be in Rio de Janeiro, in partnership with PUC-Rio, and another in Belo Horizonte, with the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG).
Five companies to watch in Atlantic Canada (TheGlobeAndMail)
The technology industry in Atlantic Canada produced some big exits in the past two years. The region is poised for more success, and here are some of the companies to watch: This Fredericton-based company offers data-mining software that helps large companies develop new sales contacts. The Introhive team consists of many former Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) staff members and it is headed by Jody Glidden, who led his former company, Chalk Media Corp., to a $30-million buyout by Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) several years ago. UserEvents UserEvents offers technology that alerts corporations when customers are having trouble with online transactions. The Fredericton company is led by CEO Jeff Thompson, who in 2009 sold his former company, Conseros, to Genesys, a subsidiary of phone equipment maker Alcatel-Lucent.
