Richard Piasentin: RIM

RIM Dept: So-called beta testing of the new BlackBerry 10 touch- screen model and related enterprise software started Monday, said Richard Piasentin, managing director of RIM s U.S. business. RIM is picking up the costs of the trials, which are focused on the touch-screen model, a design that s less familiar to many corporate customers than the traditional Qwerty keyboard version, he said, according to The Star. RIM, based in Waterloo, is widening its pilot projects to build enthusiasm for the phones, which debut to the public Jan. 30 and go on sale in February on multiple continents. A successful start is critical to regaining some of the market share the BlackBerry lost in recent years to Apple Inc. s iOS and Google Inc. s Android software and research In Motion Ltd. said the BlackBerry 10, the new smartphone lineup intended to revive its fortunes, is about to begin testing at more than 120 U.S. companies, including 64 members of the Fortune 500. We re keenly targeting the launch of our touch-screen device and we want to bring that experience to our clients, Piasentin said in an interview. While the tests stop short of being actual orders, these clients have agreed to implement the full solution into their infrastructure, which shows their level of commitment, he said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.