RIM Extends BlackBerry Academic Program to Russia

Program supports future software development and digital entrepreneurs in Russia

Moscow, Russia - SWD Conference - Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM, TSX: RIM) announced it is extending the BlackBerry® Academic Program to Russia. The global program is now available to universities across Russia, providing curriculum and other resources to enable training courses for administering and supporting the BlackBerry® solution and developing apps for the BlackBerry platform.  The program is first being introduced at two Russian universities, The Saratov State Technical University and St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University.

By making these tools and resources available to Russian universities, RIM, the maker of BlackBerry smartphones and the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet, aims to support the future generation of mobile software developers in the country. Alongside the introduction of the BlackBerry Academic Program, RIM is also building upon the existing QNX® operating system courses offered to a network of around 20 universities in Russia by QNX Software Systems Limited and its distribution partner SWD Software Ltd. QNX Software Systems, a subsidiary of RIM, provides an open-platform operating system used in multiple business sectors such as automotive, medical, oil, gas, and power generation.

Speaking at the annual QNX Russia conference in St. Petersburg today, Paul Lucier, Managing Director for RIM in Russia said: “We are delighted to announce the BlackBerry Academic Program is now available in Russia, bringing more resources, knowledge and skills to help train future mobile developers on the BlackBerry platform. We are also excited about the opportunity to build upon the established QNX and SWD university programs, extending mobile app development capabilities alongside embedded operating system knowledge.”

The BlackBerry platform has become one of the most profitable platforms for mobile developers, with an opportunity to reach 77 million BlackBerry customers globally.  In addition, according to Yankee Research Group, BlackBerry App World™ has more paid downloads per month than the Android market.

To start with, the BlackBerry Academic Program will provide the Saratov State Technical and St. Petersburg State Polytechnic universities full access to educational resources, including curriculum modules, hands-on labs and software and hardware support, to help senior students develop mobile applications, manage BlackBerry devices and software, and learn more about BlackBerry technology. Course content, which includes theoretical, practical and lab elements, is currently available for mobile application development for BlackBerry smartphones and the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet.

“We are pleased to be among the first universities to launch the BlackBerry Academic Program in Russia. RIM’s comprehensive approach exactly meets our vision for successful graduates and was one of the main reasons for implementing the program. The learning process is more exciting and the visual and multimedia components of the BlackBerry Academic Program make it a lot more interactive.  We do hope that our students will benefit from these capabilities allowing them to meet the opportunities in the wireless industry with energy and confidence,” said Dmitry Petrov, professor heading the “Systems and Technologies” lecture at Saratov State Technical University.

Viktor Melichin, Professor, Doctor of Engineering, Head of Computer Systems and Program technologies at St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University added, “Integrating the BlackBerry Academic Program with our workshops will enable the improvement of our entire educational process. Student interest in studying the virtues of the BlackBerry platform is growing, and they can now expand their knowledge thanks to the program. The program offers a fantastic opportunity for software development with an exciting opportunity to create software products that would be available to users around the world.”

BlackBerry Academic Program
The BlackBerry Academic Program (BAP) is the central element of RIM’s support for global education. The Saratov State Technical and St. Petersburg State Polytechnic universities join a growing global network with over 640 participating institutions in more than 113 countries that support students in gaining further knowledge of concepts related to mobile computing such as networks, spectrum, efficient use of battery life and mobile application development. Its aim is to bring new opportunities and industry relevant mobile computing curriculum that will  prepare students for the wireless world.

By participating in BAP, universities have access to materials to train students in the essentials of mobile application development on the BlackBerry platform as well as the administration and support of BlackBerry technologies in an enterprise environment. Through BAP partnerships, RIM provides learning materials, devices, software and other resources that reflect the most current technological trends. BlackBerry smartphones and BlackBerry PlayBook tablets are provided to facilitate a vital hands-on learning experience.

For examples of BlackBerry Academic Program success stories, please visit:  http://us.blackberry.com/ataglance/academic/faculty/.

Note to Editors: Recently, RIM, QNX Software Systems and Texas Instruments announced a sponsorship of Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s Institute of Automotive Engineering to establish a joint lab committed to automobile technologies. Leveraging QNX Software Systems’ latest products and systems, the lab will provide a state-of-the-art research environment where professors and students can work on vehicle infotainment systems, intelligent traffic control systems, and general embedded systems development.

For more information:
BlackBerry Academic Program - www.blackberry.com/academic
BlackBerry application development - www.blackberry.com/developer

BlackBerry Certification Program - www.blackberry.com/certification