BlackBerry owners tend to be older and wealthier than other smartphone users according to a new report released this week. Data from comScore Data Mine suggests BlackBerry users are “more likely to have a household greater than $75,000 when compared to average smartphone owners.” BlackBerry owners were also more likely to have at least part of all of their monthly mobile bill paid for by their employers. We’re not surprised, taking into consideration the vast number of enterprise users that still own a BlackBerry for work. “BlackBerry users over indexed in all age segments 35-64 in November 2011, with the 55-64 age bracket showing the highest index of 120,” comScore said in its report, which found the fewest number of Blackberry users between the ages of 18 and 24.

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IBM and HTC are working together to make Android a more attractive platform for the enterprise market. Executives from both companies recently demoed IBM software running on HTC smartphones and tablets during IBM’s Lotusphere and Connect conference, TechWeek Europe said recently. “It’s only been really relatively recently that HTC has broken into the enterprise space,” HTC’s executive director Global Enterprise and Services David Jaegar said. “We’re driving toward that magic 100-million device number globally. We see IBM as the gold standard for an enterprise partnership. We want to make sure if IBM is talking about Android or tablets, HTC is in the conversation.” HTC is focusing specifically on security applications, Jaegar explained recently. The Taiwan-based phone and tablet maker also said it is working with third-party developers and businesses to help firms create custom applications for HTC tablets.

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Research In Motion is currently weighing every single option it can think of in an effort to reverse a negative trend that is approaching a boiling point for investors. Reports that RIM is currently in talks to license its software to other vendors are accurate according to our trusted sources, though we have been told that RIM is most likely leaning toward an outright sale of one or more divisions, or even the whole company. The front runner, we have been told by a trusted source with knowledge of the situation, is Samsung, which might be interested in RIM for a number of reasons.

One of the biggest assets RIM has is BlackBerry Messenger, and it would be a smart way for Samsung to differentiate itself inside the Android ecosystem. HTC has its Sense suite and it recently bought into Beats by Dr. Dre. Samsung could buy RIM, or a part of the company, and integrate not only BBM but also several other enterprise features into Android to make its devices an even bigger threat to competitors. This could also help Samsung better differentiate itself on the software and OS level, pulling more control into its hands and away from Google.

We have heard that Jim Balsillie is actively meeting with almost every company that might be interested in either a part or all of RIM, in addition to having talks about licensing. “Jim is going hard after Samsung,” said a source with knowledge of the negotiations. One of the reasons no deal has been struck, however, is that RIM’s co-CEOs are asking for way too much.

We have heard the company is looking for more than $10 billion for a full sale, likely somewhere in the $12 billion to $15 billion range, or between approximately $22.90 and $28.60 per share. RIM’s market capitalization currently sits at about $8.5 billion, though several analysts think that even $8.5 billion is more than an interested party would consider bidding at the moment.

Samsung declined to comment and a spokesperson for RIM did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It’s certainly an interesting time at Research In Motion, and we’ll have much more on RIM in the coming days.

UPDATE: In a statement provided to Reuters Wednesday evening, a Samsung spokesman said the company is not interested in an outright purchase of Research In Motion. The spokesman did not address reports that Samsung is considering licensing RIM’s software, however, or purchasing a portion of RIM’s assets.

Research In Motion announced BlackBerry Mobile Fusion on Tuesday, its latest enterprise solution that will allow corporate IT departments to manage devices running both RIM’s own BlackBerry OS as well as tablets and smartphones running Android and iOS. “BlackBerry Mobile Fusion brings together our industry-leading BlackBerry Enterprise Server technology for BlackBerry devices with mobile device management capabilities for iOS and Android devices, all managed from one web-based console,” RIM VP of enterprise product management and marketing Alan Panezic explained. “It provides the necessary management capabilities to allow IT departments to confidently oversee the use of both company-owned and employee-owned mobile devices within their organizations.” Read on for more.

The software supports connectivity management, asset management, configuration management, security and policy definition and management and more across each platform. It also includes BlackBerry Enterprise Server (version 5.0.3) for BlackBerry smartphones and new management features for the BlackBerry PlayBook.

BlackBerry Mobile Fusion is in early beta testing for now but RIM expects another closed beta program to begin in January. The software should be generally available some time  in March. RIM’s full press release follows below.

RIM Announces BlackBerry Mobile Fusion – The Next Generation Enterprise Mobility Solution for BlackBerry, Android and iOS Smartphones and Tablets
Simplifies Management of Smartphones and Tablets for Business and Government

Waterloo, ON – Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today introduced BlackBerry® Mobile Fusion – the Company’s next-generation enterprise mobility solution and RIM’s entry into the multi-platform Mobile Device Management (MDM) marketplace. Building on years of leading enterprise mobility management solutions from RIM, BlackBerry Mobile Fusion will simplify the management of smartphones and tablets running BlackBerry®, Google® Android® and Apple® iOS® operating systems.

“We are pleased to introduce BlackBerry Mobile Fusion – RIM’s next generation enterprise mobility solution – to make it easier for our business and government customers to manage the diversity of devices in their operations today,” said Alan Panezic, Vice President, Enterprise Product Management and Marketing at Research In Motion. “BlackBerry Mobile Fusion brings together our industry-leading BlackBerry Enterprise Server technology for BlackBerry devices with mobile device management capabilities for iOS and Android devices, all managed from one web-based console. It provides the necessary management capabilities to allow IT departments to confidently oversee the use of both company-owned and employee-owned mobile devices within their organizations.”

RIM is the leading provider of enterprise mobility solutions with over 90 percent of the Fortune 500 provisioning BlackBerry devices today. The enterprise market for smartphones and tablets continues to grow in both the company-provisioned and employee-owned (Bring Your Own Device or BYOD) categories. BYOD in particular has led to an increase in the diversity of mobile devices in use in the enterprise and new challenges for CIOs and IT departments as they struggle to manage and control wireless access to confidential company information on the corporate network. This has resulted in increased demand for mobile device management solutions.

BlackBerry Mobile Fusion brings together the market-leading BlackBerry® Enterprise Server (version 5.0.3) for BlackBerry smartphones; new management capabilities for BlackBerry PlayBook tablets built on BlackBerry Enterprise Server technology; and mobile device management for smartphones and tablets running Android and iOS operating systems.

BlackBerry Mobile Fusion will provide the following mobile device management capabilities for all supported mobile devices*:

• Asset management
• Configuration management
• Security and policy definition and management
• Secure and protect lost or stolen devices (remote lock, wipe)
• User- and group-based administration
• Multiple device per user capable
• Application and software management
• Connectivity management (Wi-Fi®, VPN, certificate)
• Centralized console
• High scalability

BlackBerry smartphones will continue to benefit from the many advantages of the end-to-end BlackBerry solution including the same advanced IT management, security and control available with BlackBerry Enterprise Server 5.0.3, which is part of BlackBerry Mobile Fusion. These advanced features include BlackBerry® Balance™ technology supporting the use of a single device for both work and personal purposes without compromising the organization’s need to secure, manage and control confidential information; over 500 IT policies; over-the-air app and software installation and management; high availability; and much more. BlackBerry Mobile Fusion will also introduce new self-service functionality for employees to secure lost or stolen BlackBerry smartphones and BlackBerry PlayBook tablets.

BlackBerry Mobile Fusion is currently in early beta testing with select enterprise customers. RIM is now accepting customer nominations for the closed beta program which will start in January, and general availability is expected in late March.

For more information, visit www.blackberry.com/mobilefusion.

Microsoft will soon launch Lync enterprise chat applications for iOS, Windows Phone, Android and BlackBerry devices. Australian tech enthusiast Gary Holden asked Microsoft’s official Australia Twitter account whether or not rumors were true that Lync would be released in the next four weeks, to which Microsoft Australia replied “Confirmed.” Lync provides an IM solution with integrated video, web conferencing and audio features, although it is unclear how many of those features will be carried over to the mobile application when it is released.

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Microsoft’s senior director of online services Tom Rizzo recently published a blog post titled “Google Graveyard” that tore into Google’s practice of launching products and then killing them off shortly after. “Google customers are not finding tools they have been using over the years,” he explained. “Google releases experimental products and tracks adoption to determine whether to continue providing them. Its products are like spaghetti, Google throws them up against the wall to see if they stick.” Read on for more.

Rizzo asked how any business could “take the risk” of using Google’s tools. “Case in point, as of its June release, the company is giving Google Plus a try in the social space, and now they are providing access to it for Google Apps customers. But can businesses and schools trust it to be there for very long, judging by the history of Google’s social family,” he questioned.

Rizzo also noted that Google Wave lasted just 15 months, Google Aadvark lasted 19 months and Buzz lived for just 20 months before it was killed off. Google certainly has a right to kill off any product that isn’t profitable, nobody will deny Wave and Buzz were failures, but perhaps Rizzo is more worried about a recent Gartner report that suggested Google’s Gmail solution — one that stuck on the wall — is ready to go head-to-head with Microsoft in the enterprise email market.

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Research In Motion this week revealed a limited-time offer that aims to bolster sales of its BlackBerry PlayBook tablet to enterprise customers. Between now and December 31st, BlackBerry business customers who purchase two PlayBook tablets from an authorized reseller will get a third PlayBook for free. They will also receive one free premium accessory for every two PlayBook tablets purchased, and they may choose from a black leather sleeve, a charging pod or a 6-foot HDMI cable. While some find that RIM’s PlayBook gets the job done as a recreational tablet, business customers may not share that opinion. BGR exclusively reported on Tuesday that RIM would be delaying the OS 2.0 update that will bring email and other PIM services to the device until next year. RIM confirmed our report later that evening, and also confirmed that standalone BBM capabilities would not be included in the February software release.

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Apple’s iPad and iPad 2 tablets continue to dominate in the enterprise market, according to the Good Technology Device Activations Report for the third quarter of 2011. 4% of all tablet activations in the enterprise were for Android tablets, while the iPad and iPad 2 were responsible for 96% of activations. The iPhone 4 was the most popular handset with 28.3% of all device activations during the quarter. It was followed by the iPad 2 (15.6% of all activations). Sprint’s EVO 4G was the most popular Android device with 1.6% of all enterprise smartphone activations. Read on for more.

“This quarter, we saw Android smartphones gain in percentage of total activations,” Good Technology senior vice president of corporate strategy John Herrema said. “This is likely due to the consumers holding back purchases of new iPhones in anticipation of Apple’s latest release (the iPhone 4S) — as our reports indiciate, consumers are setting the agenda for enterprise mobility.” IPhone 4 activations fell from 32.4% during the second quarter to 28.3% during the third quarter as a result of that anticipation.

It must be noted, however, that Good’s report does not take BlackBerry or Windows Phone 7 activations into consideration. “Since RIM devices use only the BlackBerry Enterprise Server for corporate email access, Good does not have insight into BlackBerry handset activation trends and they are not reflected in this report,” Good Technology clarified in its report.

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Research In Motion’s recent BlackBerry outage was the worst in the company’s history, leaving BlackBerry users in the Middle East, Europe, parts of South America, Canada, Africa and the United States without service for a total of three days. This major outage could cost the Canadian vendor more than $100 million, Financial Post reported on Friday. The costs include refunds RIM may have to issue carriers for monthly fees it collects for each BlackBerry user. “Given a large portion of global traffic looks potentially affected we believe that a 5% impact to service fee revenue is plausible though likely worse case,” JPMorgan Chase analyst Rod Hall said. Read on for more.

Scotia Capital analyst Gus Papageorgiou estimated that lost revenues could be in the ballpark of $117.7 million, or $0.22 per share, but that RIM should have the crisis under control by the weekend. The costs however, do not include the possibility of shaken faith from RIM’s top enterprise users, who rely on BlackBerry products and services for day-to-day operations. RIM co-chief Mike Lazaridis issued a public apology on Thursday in which co-CEO Mike Lazaridis said RIM was “working around the clock to fix this,” and the company stated a few hours later that service had been fully restored.

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Investment in mobile security will increase 44% annually through 2015 according to a recent research report from Canalys. Reportedly, just 4% of smartphones shipped last year were sold with security software pre-installed. Canalys suggests that, by 2015, more than 20% of all smartphones and tablets will run some form of security software and mobile security will be a $3 billion market. The research firm attributes the growth to an increase in pressure from enterprise customers, and it expects the usage of client security products such as antivirus software, VPN encryption and firewalls will grow an average of 54.6% annually to 2015. “Enterprises must adopt a holistic view of mobile security, as there is no single solution that provides complete protection,” research analyst Nushin Hernandez said. “A more robust approach, even compared to that used to protect typical notebooks and desktops, is needed.” Read on for the full press release from Canalys.

Mobile security investment to climb 44% each year through 2015

Canalys today announced its updated worldwide mobile security forecast, estimating an average investment growth of 44.2% per year, reaching $759.8 million by the end of 2011 and turning into a $3 billion market opportunity in 2015.[1]

According to Canalys figures, only 4% of smart phones and pads shipped in 2010 had some form of mobile security downloaded and installed, highlighting a low end-user awareness level and the relative infancy of the market. Mobile security uptake is anticipated to rise rapidly over the next four years, as enterprises conform more strictly to data protection and compliance practices, and consumers begin to understand the impending security threat to their personal data. Canalys forecasts that by 2015 over 20% of smart phones and pads will have mobile security software installed.

Over the next two years, Canalys expects device management to drive adoption of mobile security-related products, with businesses deploying solutions to track, monitor and authorize corporate data access, as consumers bring their devices into the workplace. These solutions will increasingly be tied to enterprise app stores, so that only approved apps can be downloaded and only devices with approved apps installed can access corporate resources.

After that period, the threat landscape is predicted to become extremely volatile, as more hackers target mobile devices as a means to financial gain. Enterprises and consumers alike will increasingly implement mobile security solutions to remove problems that have already infected their devices. This will turn mobile client security into the main driver, with device management a required layer in a more complete solution. Canalys expects mobile client security, which includes anti-virus, firewall, messaging security, web threat security, VPN functionality and encryption, to grow on average by 54.6% each year to 2015.

Until now, North America has led mobile security adoption, primarily due to enterprises adhering to data compliance regulations. Investment in the more mature Western European markets is poised to accelerate though, as enterprise mobility and consumerization trends pick up speed. Developing countries in Latin America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East will experience a sharp rise in mobile security investment from 2013 to 2015, as Android continues to gain headway as the preferred operating system in more price-sensitive markets. Canalys expects a strong parallel to emerge between Android operating system growth and the volume of mobile malware threats, as the potential for more people to download compromised applications rises.

‘We’re encouraging enterprises to build a framework for mobile security that encompasses people, policies, processes and technologies,’ said Canalys Research Analyst Nushin Hernandez. ‘This vision will also create the most opportunity for channel partners, if they can step in and act as the main point of strategic consulting across multivendor product offerings.’

Today, enterprises around the world are struggling to manage a growing mobile workforce, using multiple devices and operating systems and increased data consumption. Mobility multiplies the number of attack vectors open to cyber-criminals and renders corporate data more vulnerable through physical loss of devices. Users, meanwhile, have a tendency to treat smart phones and pads as low risk, without understanding the security implications of using these devices to access corporate data and networks.

‘Enterprises must adopt a holistic view of mobile security, as there is no single solution that provides complete protection,’ said Hernandez. ‘A more robust approach, even compared to that used to protect typical notebooks and desktops, is needed.’

Operators must also ensure that their customers’ data is protected along with their own information, assets, intellectual property and brand. Mobile operators globally are experiencing increasing mobile malware attacks and are spending more time and money on recovery. Canalys anticipates attack sophistication levels to rise with time. Providing service providers with a high-level of security from a network perspective, regardless of device or operating system type, will be a key differentiator from a security vendor perspective.

Canalys expects channel-led deals to work best with vendors that offer value-add services, such as management and installation support. “Vendors will have to equip channel partners with the necessary technical training and tools, especially specialization programs, to enable them to advise on the best mobility security practices, policies and solutions,” said Hernandez. “Channel partners in turn are advised to build up their portfolios and explore the possibility of acquiring or joining forces with resellers that sell device management solutions.”

HP announced on Monday that it has followed through with its intentions to acquire Autonomy and has purchased the enterprise information technology firm for £25.50 per share in cash. HP will allow Autonomy to operate as an entirely separate arm; Autonomy will continue to be led by its founder and CEO Dr. Mike Lynch, who will report to HP’s newly appointed CEO Meg Whitman. “We are committed to helping our customers solve their toughest IT challenges,” HP president and chief executive officer Meg Whitman said. “The exploding growth of unstructured and structured data and unlocking its value is the single largest opportunity for consumers, businesses and governments. Autonomy significantly increases our capabilities to manage and extract meaning from that data to drive insight, foresight and better decision making.” Read on for the full press release.

HP Acquires Control of Autonomy Corporation

Positions HP as a leader in fast-growing enterprise information management and data market

HP today announced that it has acquired control of Autonomy Corporation.

Holders of 213,421,299 Autonomy shares have accepted HP’s previously announced offer to purchase the entire share capital of Autonomy at a price of £25.50 per share in cash, representing approximately 87.34 percent of the current issued share capital of Autonomy. As such, all conditions relating to the offer have now been satisfied, allowing HP to acquire control of Autonomy.

The acquisition positions HP as a leader in the large and growing enterprise information management space. Autonomy’s software offerings power more than 25,000 customer accounts worldwide and, as part of HP, will provide high-value business solutions to help customers manage the explosion of unstructured and structured information. Autonomy offers solutions that are complementary across HP’s enterprise offerings and strengthens the company’s data analytics, cloud, industry and workflow management capabilities.

“We are committed to helping our customers solve their toughest IT challenges. The exploding growth of unstructured and structured data and unlocking its value is the single largest opportunity for consumers, businesses and governments,” said Meg Whitman, HP president and chief executive officer. “Autonomy significantly increases our capabilities to manage and extract meaning from that data to drive insight, foresight and better decision making.”

As previously announced, Autonomy will operate as a separate business unit. Dr. Mike Lynch, the founder and chief executive officer of Autonomy, will continue to lead the Autonomy business and will report to Whitman.

“This is a historic day for Autonomy, our employees and the customers we serve, as we combine HP’s phenomenal assets and Autonomy’s specialized skills to produce systems that handle all the information in the enterprise, regardless of the format it is in,” said Lynch. “We are at the dawn of a new era when it is the ‘I’ in IT that is changing, not just the ‘T.’”

HP’s offer to purchase the remaining Autonomy shares remains open. Further information is available at www.hp.com/investor/offerdocuments.

 

 

Samsung held a special event in New York City on Wednesday where it upgraded Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 owners with its custom TouchWiz user interface. If you weren’t in the New York area, fear not, as Samsung announced on Wednesday morning that it will begin pushing out the update over-the-air on August 5th. The patch will add the Amazon Music Player, Words with Friends and Kindle software. TouchWiz includes the following updates user interface enhancements:

Live Panel: Magazine-like widget view for immediate access to weather, social updates, email, news, photo gallery, all on the home screen. The visual layout of Live Panel is completely customizable for one-touch entry into each user’s most important information.

Mini Mode Tray: One-touch access to commonly used applications—Task Manager, Calendar, World Clock, Pen Memo, Calculator, Music—which overlay in a pop-up window on display screen for powerful multi-tasking.

Clipboard: Advanced copy & paste functionality allows Galaxy Tab 10.1 users to store photos, Web pages, YouTube links, etc., on the clipboard for easy sharing via email and social network sites.

Indicator Quick Panel: Quickly toggle on/off Wi-Fi, notifications, sound, brightness and settings in lower right hand corner of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 display.

Photo Editor: Rotate, crop and adjust colors on high quality digital images

Samsung’s update will also add Swype, a host of enterprise features, Social Hub and Samsung Media Hub. Read on for the full press release.

Samsung Mobile Announces Availability of Major Software Update for Award-Winning Samsung Galaxy Tab™ 10.1 WiFi Edition

New software includes TouchWiz® UX user interface with fully customizable widgets and mini applications for multi-tasking, redesigned Samsung Media Hub service, Enterprise mobile solutions and Samsung Kies 2.0 support for PC & Mac.

DALLAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the U.S.¹, announced the Samsung Galaxy Tab™ 10.1 WiFi software update including Samsung’s TouchWiz® UX user interface, Adobe Flash Player 10.3 and the redesigned Samsung Media Hub service, will begin rolling out over the air to all Galaxy Tab 10.1 owners beginning Friday, August 5.

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 software update is scheduled to include the following features and services:

Samsung TouchWiz® User Interface:

The Samsung TouchWiz UX is specifically designed to work with Android™ Honeycomb 3.1 to optimize the large screen tablet user experience. The TouchWiz UX delivers superior multi-tasking and customization for an enhanced visual, fluid and intuitive mobile computing experience. TouchWiz UX features are scheduled to include:

• Live Panel: Magazine-like widget view for immediate access to weather, social updates, email, news, photo gallery, all on the home screen. The visual layout of Live Panel is completely customizable for one-touch entry into each user’s most important information.
• Mini Mode Tray: One-touch access to commonly used applications—Task Manager, Calendar, World Clock, Pen Memo, Calculator, Music—which overlay in a pop-up window on display screen for powerful multi-tasking.
• Clipboard: Advanced copy & paste functionality allows Galaxy Tab 10.1 users to store photos, Web pages, YouTube links, etc., on the clipboard for easy sharing via email and social network sites.
• Indicator Quick Panel: Quickly toggle on/off Wi-Fi, notifications, sound, brightness and settings in lower right hand corner of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 display.
• Photo Editor: Rotate, crop and adjust colors on high quality digital images

Samsung Media Hub:

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 software update will introduce the evolution of Samsung’s popular movie and next day TV content service, known as Media Hub. Media Hub has been redesigned with a new user interface and optimized video content for the 10.1” display for even easier downloads and higher quality viewing experience of rented or purchased content. Media Hub features thousands of new release and top-grossing titles from major Hollywood studios and leading television networks, including NBC Universal, Paramount, MTV, Warner Bros. , CBS and FOX. The new version also features Media Hub Show, which allows the user to playback Media Hub content on a TV through an HDMI cable from the Galaxy Tab 10.1 dock or adaptor. Users can register up to five devices under one account to access owned content across multiple devices without repurchase. Alternate premium video options include Android Movies, which is available to download from the Android Market.

Social Hub:

The software upgrade will also include Samsung’s Social Hub service, which aggregates email, instant messaging, contacts, calendar and social network connections into an integrated experience.

Apps Preloaded:

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 software update includes preloaded applications, scheduled to include:

• Amazon Music Cloud Player: Upload your music in the cloud and access it from any device
• Amazon Kindle: Get access to about a million Kindle books
• Words with Friends: Face off against friends near and far with one of the most popular social games from Zynga

Enterprise Solutions and Services:

• Full support for Exchange ActiveSync version 14
• On device encryption
• Cisco VPN (Virtual Private Network)
• Sybase MDM (Mobile Device Management)
• Cisco WebEx mobile conference solution for meetings on the go

Samsung Kies 2.0:

Galaxy Tab 10.1 users will also gain greater file sharing capabilities through Samsung Kies 2.0 with support for both PC and Macs. Samsung Kies 2.0 includes the following user benefits:

• Better device management: PIMS and multimedia data sync, firmware upgrades with file backup and wireless connectivity via WiFi and Bluetooth
• Powerful multimedia support: Integrated library for storing mass data and complex content files
• Faster performance: quick and seamless installation of Samsung Kies 2.0 delivers immediate access to file transfer process

Swype:

This enhanced, tablet-optimized typing application includes features such as ability to re-size the keyboard, move the virtual keyboard anywhere on the screen and of course, type faster by swyping.

Mobile Printing:

Print documents and pictures wirelessly from the Galaxy Tab 10.1 to any compatible printer.

With Research In Motion’s annual shareholder meeting scheduled to take place later today, one popular RIM-focused analyst is calling for the company to split its handset and network businesses into two separate companies. “RIM’s organization, like its handsets, needs modernization. By acting now, splitting RIM into network and handset businesses may target opportunities and unlock significant shareholder value,” RBC Capital Markets Managing Director Mike Abramsky wrote in a note to investors on Tuesday. “RIM’s end-to-end solution was conceived when data devices and networks were nascent — but times have changed,” the analyst continued. Abramsky believes the standalone network business can target a market of roughly 400 million Android devices, Windows Phones, tablets and other devices with “affordable, efficient, cross-platform mobile push messaging, social networking, cloud and business data services (and software)” that is already interconnected with 595 carriers around the globe. On the other end, splitting off RIM’s devices business could accelerate handset innovation, strengthen developer relationships and help the company prioritize its customers and developers over its carrier partners — a sentiment thought by some to be paramount to RIM’s success moving forward. Abramsky reiterated his price target of $35 for RIM stock, noting above-average risk.

Moments ago, Microsoft officially released its new cloud-based Office product, Office 365, which will compete directly with Google Docs. The Office 365 suite, which has been in public beta for awhile now, is being targeted at the enterprise market and plans for the entire suite cost between $10 and $27 each month depending on the feature set chosen. Small and medium-sized businesses can also choose a more cost effective $6 option that only includes Office Web Apps and Microsoft Exchange. Those options, however, are all more expensive than the $50 annual fee that Google charges corporate users for access to its Google Docs suite. Microsoft’s full press release follows below.

Microsoft Launches Office 365 Globally

World-class collaboration tools are now available for businesses large and small.

NEW YORK — June 28, 2011 — Today, at media events around the world, Microsoft Corp. announced the availability ofMicrosoft Office 365, the company’s newest cloud service. Office 365 is now available in 40 markets, and it brings together Microsoft Office, Microsoft SharePoint Online, Microsoft Exchange Online and Microsoft Lync Online in an always-up-to-date cloud service, at a predictable monthly subscription.

The service was introduced in beta last year with enthusiastic response and, in a few months, more than 200,000 organizations signed up and began testing it. Businesses using Office 365 are already reporting impressive results and reducing IT costs by up to an estimated 50 percent while boosting productivity.

Today, more than 20 service providers around the globe also shared plans to bring Office 365 to their customers this year. Bell Canada, Intuit Inc., NTT Communications Corp., Telefonica S.A., Telstra Corp. and Vodafone Group Plc, among others, will package and sell Office 365 with their own services for small and midsize businesses.

“Great collaboration is critical to business growth, and because it’s so important, we believe the best collaboration technology should be available to everyone,” said Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. “With a few clicks, Office 365 levels the playing field, giving small and midsize businesses powerful collaboration tools that have given big businesses an edge for years.”

A Game Changer for Businesses of All Sizes

Office 365 is available in a wide range of service plans designed to meet the needs of businesses of all sizes, ranging from the largest to the smallest.

With Office 365, people can stay on the “same page” using instant messaging and virtual meetings with people who are just down the hall or across the world. They can work on files and documents at the same time and share ideas as easily as they can share calendars. Office 365 gives people new ways to work together with ease, on virtually any device.

Microsoft Office applications are at the heart of Office 365. Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote, Outlook and other Office applications connect to Microsoft Exchange, SharePoint and Lync to deliver a world-class solution for communication and collaboration.

“When I saw Office 365, I knew this was the way businesses would work in the future,” said Elia Wallen, owner of fast-growing temporary housing provider Travelers Haven. “With Office 365, I’m going to save $100,000 a year and cut 30 hours of work a day across my 35 employees, but most importantly, my team is going to be able to work together better — no matter where they are.”

More stories from businesses that have tried Office 365 are available athttp://www.microsoft.com/casestudies.

Office 365 Partners

Microsoft is building a massive partner ecosystem around Office 365, including systems integrators, software vendors, resellers and other partners. Today, that ecosystem is expanding as the company partners in new ways with market-leading service providers. These companies will package Office 365 with their own services — from Web hosting and broadband to finance solutions and mobile services — and bring those new offerings to millions of small and midsize businesses globally.

“Our partners represent some of the best-known, most-trusted brands in their local markets,” said Kurt DelBene, president, Microsoft Office Division. “Our customers will be able to rest easy knowing their cloud services are backed by Microsoft and some of the greatest service providers in the world.”

A list of Office 365 service provider partners is available here.

About Office 365

Office 365 offers a range of service plans for a predictable monthly price from $2 to $27 per user per month. With Office 365 for small businesses, customers can be up and running with Office Web Apps, Microsoft Exchange Online, Microsoft SharePoint Online, Microsoft Lync Online and an external website in minutes, for $6 (U.S.) per user, per month. These tools put enterprise-grade email, shared documents, instant messaging, video and Web conferencing, portals, and more at everyone’s fingertips.

Office 365 for enterprises has an array of choices, from simple email to comprehensive suites to meet the needs of midsize and large businesses, as well as government organizations. Customers can now get Microsoft Office Professional Plus on a pay-as-you-go basis with cloud-based versions of the industry’s leading business communications and collaboration services. Each of these plans comes with the advanced IT controls, innovative security technologies, 24/7 IT support and reliability customers expect from Microsoft.

Availability

Office 365 for small businesses and Office 365 for enterprises are available now. Businesses can try Office 365 for free for 30 days by signing up at http://www.office365.com or from their local Microsoft partner. Follow Office 365 on Twitter (@Office365), Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/office365) and the Office 365 blog at http://community.office365.comfor the latest information.

Nokia’s latest QWERTY candybar phone, the E6, is now available for pre-order in the U.K. Nokia took the wraps off of the E6 in April — at the same time it announced X7 — and said it would ship with the latest Symbian “Anna” operating system. The E6 offers a 2.46-inch 640 x 480 pixel touchscreen, an 8-megapixel camera, GPS, 802.11n Wi-Fi, and a 1,500 mAh battery. Symbian “Anna” will provide enterprise grade security with hardware accelerated encryption, several new e-mail features, a revamped user interface, and a new version of Nokia’s mapping application (formerly Ovi Maps). The E6 is priced contract-free at £349.00 ($570) and Nokia expects pre-orders to ship by the end of June.

[Via Engadget]

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