New Blackberry 10 OS Launch Delayed As RIM Cuts 5,000 Jobs

Online, July 24, 2012 (Newswire.com) - Research in Motion (RIM), the maker of Blackberry mobile business phones, has announced that it will be delaying the launch of its new phone operating system Blackberry 10 at the same time as cutting 5,000 jobs.

The company reported a $518m (£334m) net loss in the three months leading up to the beginning of June this year, compared to a $695m profit in the same period last year. These results are much worse than expected and signify some serious problems at RIM. Which have resulted in a 70% reduction in share value for RIM over the past year.

The announcement follows the widely reported problems that Blackberry users experienced last October, during which the company came under huge criticism for a long period of BBM and email access downtime. Blackberry had previously been renowned as a reliable mobile business phones option, having been built with business use in mind.

RIM has recently struggled to keep up with the pace of rivals in both the smartphone and tablets market. The company had been pinning its hopes for a comeback on its new Blackberry 10 operating system, so announcement of a delayed release date for the company is a big blow. Whether RIM will be able to claw back its position when Blackberry 10 is finally released next year is yet to be seen, but some analysts are warning that RIM may not even survive until then before being forced into a takeover bid.

However, the successful launch of Blackberry 10 could be great news. According to BBC News Technology reporter, Leo Kelion, "The next-generation system features a flashy user interface with 3D effects and has been designed to make it easier for developers to port Android apps to help bolster the amount of software available on the touchscreen phones it will power."

Diva Telecom is a UK telecommunications company that delivers a range of services including mobile business phones, UK and international numbers, call routing, business telephone lines and calls, phone systems, mobile broadband for business, conference calling and text messaging (SMS) services for business. For more information, visit the Diva Telecom website or call 08000 12 68 68.