August 7, 2008

A1 and RIM Launch BlackBerry Bold Smartphone in Austria

Vienna, Austria and Waterloo, ON - A1, Austria’s leading business carrier and Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM), today announced the launch of the BlackBerry® Bold™ smartphone for business users in Austria. The BlackBerry Bold is RIM’s first smartphone to support HSDPA and has a rich feature set, including a brilliant half-VGA LCD display (480 x 320 resolution at 217 ppi), powerful 624 MHz processor, integrated GPS and Wi-Fi® support as well as 1GB internal storage memory and a microSD/SDHC expansion memory slot. The smartphone has been heralded as the premier smartphone for business and enterprise users.

“We are always looking to evolve our offering to provide our customers with the best solutions available to suit their needs,” said Dr. Hannes Ametsreiter, Senior Executive Vice President Marketing, Sales and Customer Services, mobilkom Austria and Senior Executive Vice President Marketing and Customer Services, Telekom Austria TA. “The BlackBerry Bold smartphone perfectly combines state-of-the-art communications and multimedia functionality, attractive design, high-speed Internet access and an intuitive user experience, making it the perfect smartphone solution.”

While it is designed to meet the demanding requirements of the business professional during the day, the BlackBerry Bold smartphone also indulges the consumer experience during lunchtime, evenings and weekends. It features a 2 megapixel camera with video recording capability*, built-in flash and digital zoom. The advanced media player can display pictures and slideshows quickly, play movies smoothly in full screen mode and manage an entire music collection. Audio can be played over the handset’s dual speakers in rich, stereo sound, and when using headphones or external speakers, the media player gives the user an equalizer with 11 preset filters – like "Lounge", "Jazz" and "Hip Hop" – that boost or soften audio ranges to create the perfect ambiance.

Don Morrison, Chief Operating Officer, Research In Motion said, “The BlackBerry Bold is a breakthrough smartphone for both professional and personal use. We are very pleased to be working with A1 to provide Austrian customers with a superior mobile experience that further enhances the renowned functionality and usability of the industry leading BlackBerry solution.”

Increased flexibility with BlackBerry® smartphones
According to a recent mobilkom study in Austria on the effects of smartphones on daily life, 92% of Austrian smartphone users found that their flexibility has increased thanks to their device. A further 90% conclude that mobile email access has increased their efficiency.

With the BlackBerry Enterprise Solution, users can stay easily connected to their email, calendar, contacts and other corporate applications in IBM Lotus® Domino®, Microsoft® Exchange and Novell® GroupWise® environments. The BlackBerry Bold smartphone also allows users to download Microsoft® Word, Excel and PowerPoint files in email attachments that can be saved to the handset and edited with the DataViz® Documents to Go® software suite, which is preinstalled on the BlackBerry Bold. The addition of integrated GPS with support for location-based applications and services also makes the BlackBerry Bold smartphone a great solution for navigation needs. 

More leisure time with the help of intelligent technology
A1 customers have an excellent choice of tariff options for their choice of BlackBerry smartphone. For €9 per month, which includes up to 5 MB of data usage per month (approximately 2,600 emails), customers can use A1`s BlackBerry Professional tariff to access email and the Internet. Mobilkom’s study found that most users felt that using a BlackBerry smartphone simplifies their life and 40% even found that  it allows them to leave the office earlier than they used to. “Technology can simplify people’s lives,” says Dr. Hannes Ametsreiter. “The BlackBerry solution and A1 will help to do just that.”

A1 is proud to say that 92 of the Austrian “Top 100 Businesses” opt for A1’s enterprise services and offers such as the BlackBerry solution.

* Video recording requires a microSD card, sold separately.

About mobilkom austria
With 4.1 million customers and a market share of 41,2 % (Q1/2008), mobilkom austria is Austria’s leading mobile operator. The company, headquartered in Vienna, has generated revenues of EUR 1,660.2 million in the 2007 business year. mobilkom austria’s innovation leadership is marked by the worldwide first GPRS Launch in August 2000, one of Europe`s first commercial UMTS networks launched in Austria in April 2003 and worldwide first HSDPA in the UMTS network in January 2006 and HSUPA in February 2007. With the mobilkom austria group, the success of mobilkom austria extends beyond Austria’s borders. The mobilkom austria group includes mobilkom austria, Velcom in Belarus, Mobiltel in Bulgaria, Vipnet in Croatia, Si.mobil in Slovenia, mobilkom Liechtenstein, Vip mobile in Serbia and Vip operator in Macedonia.

About Research In Motion (RIM)
Research In Motion is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of innovative wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market. Through the development of integrated hardware, software and services that support multiple wireless network standards, RIM provides platforms and solutions for seamless access to time-sensitive information including email, phone, SMS messaging, Internet and intranet-based applications.  RIM technology also enables a broad array of third party developers and manufacturers to enhance their products and services with wireless connectivity to data.  RIM’s portfolio of award-winning products, services and embedded technologies are used by thousands of organizations around the world and include the BlackBerry® wireless platform, the RIM Wireless Handheld™ product line, software development tools, radio-modems and software/hardware licensing agreements.  Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, RIM operates offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific.  RIM is listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market (NASDAQ: RIMM) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RIM).  For more information, visit www.rim.com or www.blackberry.com. 

Forward-looking statements in this news release are made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used herein, words such as "intend" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions made by and information available to Research In Motion Limited. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, possible product defects and product liability, risks related to international sales and potential foreign currency exchange fluctuations, the initiation or outcome of litigation, acts or potential acts of terrorism, international conflicts, significant fluctuations of quarterly operating results, changes in Canadian and foreign laws and regulations, continued acceptance of RIM's products, increased levels of competition, technological changes and the successful development of new products, dependence on third-party networks to provide services, dependence on intellectual property rights, and other risks and factors detailed from time to time in RIM's periodic reports filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, and other regulatory authorities. RIM has no intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and trademarks of Research In Motion Limited. RIM, Research In Motion and BlackBerry are registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be pending or registered in other countries. Wi-Fi is a registered trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance. All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners.  RIM assumes no obligations or liability and makes no representation, warranty, endorsement or guarantee in relation to any aspect of any third party products or services.