(March 26, 2002) - The wisdom of developing handheld devices based on truly global standards like Java - and GPRS - is being demonstrated dramatically in the case of Waterloo, Ontario-based Research in Motion, known simply as "RIM" to anyone who already loves the company's BlackBerry wireless e-mail device.

In an announcement timed to please Sun Microsystems as much as Hong Kong-based Hutchison Telecommunications, the world has learned this week (the week of JavaOne in San Francisco) that Hutchison Telecom is to be the first mobile operator anywhere in Asia to offer the BlackBerry to its customers.

Launched in North America in 1999 and in Europe just last year, this puts the RIM BlackBerry on course to becoming before long the most popular end-to-end enterprise e-mail solution on Earth.

"We look forward to delivering BlackBerry to a broad range of organizations in Hong Kong including many of our existing multinational customers," Jim Balsillie, Chairman and Co-CEO at Research In Motion, tells WBT with justifiable pride at the latest news. "We've developed the BlackBerry 5800 series based on global technology standards such as Java and GPRS," he continues, "that allow us to bring BlackBerry to new countries around the world while ensuring a common user experience and a consistent degree of quality."

Those already familar with the BlackBerry will recognize here a reference to the fact that it allows corporate users to manage their important information and communications from a single wireless handheld with always-on operation, single mailbox integration with existing corporate e-mail accounts, end-to-end security, and a "push" based architecture. The Asian version will operate on Hutchison Telecom's Orange GSM Dualband network with its advanced GPRS (2.5G) technology.

RIM has currently deployed or announced relationships with GSM/GPRS carriers in the United States, Canada, the UK, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Italy. The BlackBerry 5820 is designed to support European and Asian GSM/GPRS (900 MHz and 1800 MHz) networks, while the BlackBerry 5810 supports the GSM/GPRS (1900 MHz) networks of North America.

Hutchison Telecom is the largest mobile operator in Hong Kong and has a reputation for superb network quality and innovative services, so it is a prestigious - as well as ultimately a lucrative - new partner for RIM. The terms of the deal haven't yet been made public, though.

www.rim.net

www.orangehk.com