An unsere geschätzten Unternehmenskunden und Partner,

in der letzten Zeit haben im Markt eine Menge Spekulationen bezüglich BlackBerry® die Runde gemacht. Sicherlich wurden auch Sie von diversen MDM Anbietern zu Webinaren eingeladen, die Ihnen nahelegen, sich von Ihrer BES Lösung zu verabschieden.

Höchste Zeit also, einige Missverständnisse zum Thema BlackBerry im Unternehmenssegment – sowohl bei unseren bestehenden Kunden, als auch bei denen, die gerade BYOD und MDM implementieren – aus dem Weg zu räumen.

Das Wichtigste vorweg: Wir sind ausgesprochen lebendig
Die Ankündigung, dass BlackBerry zum Verkauf steht, ist vom Tisch. Wir sind weiterhin da und werden es auch bleiben. Die kürzlich von BlackBerry bekanntgegebene Vereinbarung über ein strategisches Investment von Fairfax Financial und anderen institutionellen Investoren ist ein eindeutiges Vertrauensvotum für unser Unternehmen und unsere Zukunft.

Die Investitionen, die Sie in BlackBerry Infrastrukturen und Lösungen getätigt haben, sind auch in Zukunft sicher. Ich setze diesbezüglich auf eine offene Informationspolitik, während wir mit unserem Unternehmen durch die Transformation gehen.

Wir setzen jetzt genau dort an, wo unsere Unternehmenskultur liegt: bei der Weiterentwicklung unternehmensspezifischer, mobiler End-To-End Lösungen. Dabei werden wir uns auf vier Bereiche konzentrieren: Handsets, EMM Lösungen, plattformübergreifendes Messaging und eingebettete Systeme. Und wir werden auch während unserer Restrukturierung konsequent in die Forschung und Entwicklung sicherer Unternehmenslösungen investieren.

Kurz gesagt: Die Meldungen über ein Ende von BlackBerry sind schlicht und einfach aus der Luft gegriffen.

Unmissverständlich: Wir werden alle Devices managen
Das beinhaltet plattformübergreifendes MDM und umso mehr plattformübergreifendes EMM. Mit BES10 haben wir im letzten Jahr ganz bewusst eine neue Plattform aufgesetzt, damit wir alle Endgeräte verwalten, BYOD umsetzen und das nachweislich beste Device Management anbieten können.

Unsere Wettbewerber suggerieren gern, dass BES lediglich BlackBerry Geräte verwaltet und dass wir teurer als andere MDMs seien. Das ist falsch.

Wir kennen die Anforderungen der Enterprise Mobility besser als jeder andere und wir denken langfristig. Deshalb haben wir in Enterprise Mobility Management investiert – für jedes Endgerät – und Kunden wie Sie wissen das Ergebnis zu schätzen. Hier einige Belege:

• Der Magic Quadrant Report von Gartner zeigt, dass wir weit mehr EMM Kunden als jeder andere Anbieter haben – und unser Anteil wächst weiter.
• Wir managen mehr mobile Endgeräte als jeder andere.
• Wir bewegen mehr sichere mobile Daten als jeder andere.
• Wir haben erhebliche Barmittel und sind kein MDM Anbieter, der durch Venture Capital gestützt wird und jährlich zusätzliche Mittel auftreiben muss.

Sicherheit ist nicht verhandelbar – egal für welche Endgeräte
BYOD Nutzer können jedes Gerät mit ins Unternehmen bringen. Unsere Aufgabe ist es dabei sicherzustellen, dass dies kein Risiko nach sich zieht. Egal, ob Sie unternehmenseigene iPads einsetzen oder BYOD Android Geräte – Sicherheit hat immer eine überragende Bedeutung.

BlackBerry hat mehr Zulassungen von Regierungsstellen als jeder andere Anbieter und wir sind der einzige EMM Anbieter und Gerätehersteller mit einem Sicherheitszertifikat des amerikanischen Verteidigungsministeriums.

Regierungen, weltweit agierende Konzerne und Organisationen, die keinerlei Sicherheitskompromisse machen dürfen, entscheiden sich für BlackBerry und vertrauen auf uns.

BES10 wird Ihre zukünftige Enterprise Mobility Lösung sein
Wir wissen, dass BlackBerry Smartphones nicht für Jeden gemacht sind – und das ist auch ok.

Wie bereits betont, sind wir weit mehr als ein Gerätehersteller. Deshalb unterstützt BES10 plattformübergreifendes MDM, verwaltet mobile Applikationen und ermöglicht Sicherheit auf höchstem Niveau. Und wir haben BES10 so unkompliziert und kosteneffizient wie möglich gestaltet, damit Sie es ganz einfach testen und einsetzen können.

In den kommenden Wochen werden wir den offenen Dialog mit Ihnen fortsetzen. Behalten Sie also die EMM Reality Webcast Serie im Auge, die sich der Kernthemen dieses Briefes annehmen wird. In der Zwischenzeit würde ich mich über ein Feedback von Ihnen freuen, damit wir Ihre Anforderungen an EMM noch besser erfüllen können.

Ich glaube an BlackBerry und bin von unserer Zukunft, unserer Technologie und unserer Fähigkeit, alle neuen Anforderungen des Marktes umzusetzen, voll und ganz überzeugt.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen,
John S. Chen
Executive Chair & CEO

WATERLOO, ONTARIO, Jan 22, 2012 — The Board of Directors of BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM) today announced that, acting on the recommendation of its Co-Chief Executive Officers to implement the succession plan they previously submitted to the Board, it has unanimously named Thorsten Heins as President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Heins was also appointed to RIM’s Board. The Board acted after conducting its own due diligence. Both appointments are effective immediately.

Mike Lazaridis, former Co-Chair and Co-CEO, has become Vice Chair of RIM’s Board and Chair of the Board’s new Innovation Committee. As Vice Chair, he will work closely with Mr. Heins to offer strategic counsel, provide a smooth transition and continue to promote the BlackBerry brand worldwide.

Mr. Heins said he looks forward to continuing to work with Mr. Lazaridis, globally recognized as a technology pioneer. He said, „Mike created a whole new way of communicating and I look forward to continuing our close collaboration.“

On the transition to CEO by Mr. Heins, Mr. Lazaridis said, „There comes a time in the growth of every successful company when the founders recognize the need to pass the baton to new leadership. Jim and I went to the Board and told them that we thought that time was now. With BlackBerry 7 now out, PlayBook 2.0 shipping in February and BlackBerry 10 expected to ship later this year, the company is entering a new phase, and we felt it was time for a new leader to take it through that phase and beyond. Jim, the Board and I all agreed that leader should be Thorsten Heins.“

Jim Balsillie remains a member of the Board. „I agree this is the right time to pass the baton to new leadership, and I have complete confidence in Thorsten, the management team and the company,“ he said. „I remain a significant shareholder and a Director and, of course, they will have my full support.“

Mr. Lazaridis said that he decided to move from Co-Chair to Vice Chair of the Board in order to return the public’s focus to what is most important: „the great company we have built, its iconic products, global brand and its talented employees.“

Mr. Lazaridis added, „Thorsten has demonstrated throughout his tenure at RIM that he has the right mix of leadership, relevant industry experience and skills to take the company forward. We have been impressed with his operational skills at both RIM and Siemens. I am so confident in RIM’s future that I intend to purchase an additional $50 million of the company’s shares, as permitted, in the open market.“
Mr. Heins said he believes that RIM has tremendous potential. He joined RIM from Siemens Communications Group in December 2007 as Senior Vice President for Hardware Engineering and became Chief Operating Officer for Product and Sales in August 2011.

„Mike and Jim took a bold step 18 months ago when RIM purchased QNX to shepherd the transformation of the BlackBerry platform for the next decade,“ Mr. Heins said. „We are more confident than ever that was the right path. It is Mike and Jim’s continued unwillingness to sacrifice long-term value for short-term gain which has made RIM the great company that it is today. I share that philosophy and am very excited about the company’s future.“

Mr. Heins said that RIM has a strong foundation on which to build. „We have a strong balance sheet with approximately $1.5 billion in cash at the end of the last quarter and negligible debt. We reported revenue of $5.2 billion in our last quarter, up 24% from the prior quarter, and a 35% year-to-year increase in the BlackBerry subscriber base, which is now over 75 million.“

Mr. Heins said, „BlackBerry 7 has been well received. We are very excited about PlayBook 2.0 and BlackBerry 10. The reception of our products at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show was encouraging.“

He continued, „RIM earned its reputation by focusing relentlessly on the customer and delivering unique mobile communications solutions. We intend to build on this heritage to expand BlackBerry’s leadership position.“

Mr. Heins said that RIM has grown quickly. „As with any company that has grown as fast as we have, there have been inevitable growing pains,“ he said. „We have learned from those challenges and, I believe, we have and will become a stronger company as a result.

„Going forward, we will continue to focus both on short-term and long-term growth, strategic planning, a customer- and market-based product approach, and flawless execution. We are in the process of recruiting a new Chief Marketing Officer to work closely with our product and sales teams to deliver the most compelling products and services.“

Barbara Stymiest, who formerly served as a member of Royal Bank of Canada’s Group Executive and has been a member of RIM’s Board since 2007, has been named the independent Board Chair. John Richardson, formerly Lead Director, will remain on the Board. Prem Watsa, Chief Executive Officer of Fairfax Financial Holdings, also was named to the Board, expanding it to 11 members.

Speaking on behalf of the Board, Ms. Stymiest said: „We believe that Thorsten is the right executive to succeed Mike and Jim. He has 27 years of telecommunications experience, including four years at RIM in senior management positions. As a Board, we have been impressed with his outstanding management skills, his leadership and his accomplishments within the company.“

Ms. Stymiest also expressed the Board’s respect and admiration for Messrs. Lazaridis and Balsillie, the company they built, and the steps they have taken to position RIM for the future.

„They created RIM, nurtured it, and in the process not only built an iconic brand, but literally pioneered the smartphone industry,“ she said. „It is Canada’s largest tech company and one of the largest in the world.“

Conference Call and Webcast

A conference call and live webcast will be held beginning at 8 am ET, January 23, 2012, which can be accessed by dialing 1-800-814-4859 (North America), (+1)416-644-3414 (outside North America) or through your personal computer or BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. A replay of the conference call will also be available at approximately 10 am ET by dialing (+1)416-640-1917 and entering passcode 4509630#. A replay of the webcast will be available on your personal computer or BlackBerry PlayBook tablet by clicking the link above. This replay will be available until midnight ET, February 6, 2012.

About Thorsten Heins

Thorsten Heins, 54, is a respected business leader with 27 years of broad experience and expertise in wireless networks and consumer electronics devices. Mr. Heins has a global reputation for his organizational and leadership skills and his ability to build successful organizations that deliver on their commitments. Prior to today’s announcement, Mr. Heins was one of RIM’s two Chief Operating Officers and, before that, Senior Vice President for the Handheld Business Unit. He played key roles in the creation of RIM’s product portfolio. Mr. Heins came to RIM in December 2007 from the industrial conglomerate Siemens AG. He joined Siemens in 1984 after graduating from the University of Hannover in his native Germany. At Siemens, Mr. Heins rose through the ranks of R&D customer service, sales and product management positions. After serving as Chief Executive Officer of various business divisions in the communication business, Mr. Heins moved to Chief Technology Officer and member of the Group Board of the Siemens Communications Group. He came to RIM after being impressed by the level of innovation displayed by founders Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie. Mr. Heins is married with a daughter and a son. Away from RIM, he is usually outdoors bicycling, motorcycling, skiing or hiking.

About Barbara Stymiest

Barbara Stymiest has served as a director of RIM since March 2007. She has an HBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business, University of Western Ontario, and an FCA from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario. Ms. Stymiest joined Royal Bank of Canada in 2004, where she served as a member of RBC’s Group Executive, which is responsible for the overall strategic direction of the company. Prior to that, she held positions as Chief Executive Officer at TSX Group Inc., Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer at BMO Nesbitt Burns and Partner of Ernst & Young LLP. Ms. Stymiest is currently a Director of George Weston Limited, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, the Royal Ontario Museum.

About Prem Watsa

Prem Watsa is the Chairman of the Board of Directors and the Chief Executive Officer of Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited, a financial services holding company whose corporate objective is to achieve a high rate of return on invested capital and build long-term shareholder value, since 1985. He is also Vice President of Hamblin Watsa Investment Counsel Ltd. since 1985. Mr. Watsa formerly served as Vice President of GW Asset Management from 1983 to 1984 and in various positions, ultimately as a Vice President, with Confederation Life Investment Counsel from 1974 to 1983.