RIM’s slide has been well documented by the press and recent updates from the Waterloo based firm does not suggest that they might be able to arrest the slide ay time soon.
This has led to a lot of speculation from many parts of the media, with most of them linking the firms take over by tech giants like Samsung and recently IBM. Though Samsung has clearly denied any such development and stated that they have neither spoken to RIM nor have any interest in acquiring the firm.
A report from Reuters suggest that the Canadian authorities have been closely monitoring the situation at RIM and have delegated a foreign minister to discuss the rules of foreign investment with RIM’s CEO Thorsten Heins.
The authorities have indicated that they are willing to guide RIM, incase they decide to put the company up for sale in the best interests of the country as most of RIM’s operations is based in Canada and as such activities at RIM is of vital importance to the nation.
RIM is said to have laid off about 25% of it’s workforce in Halifax, Nova Scotia along with staff in other parts of the country as well. Though, RIM is working with authorities in Ontario and other educational institutes as well to help workers who have been handed the pink slip by the BlackBerry maker.
With RIM’s stock market value taking a hit by as much as 75%, it’s difficult to see CEO Thorsten Heins turning the fortunes of the firm and making it profitable any time soon. Also the fact that their latest BBM10 based devices have been delayed would not launch until the first quarter of 2013 does not help matters either.
