RIM execs take note of local BlackBerry craze

Gary Spaulding, Senior Gleaner Writer

Orlando, Florida

The thousands of Jamaican gadget enthusiasts who cannot pull themselves away from their BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) have not escaped the attention of senior BlackBerry executives.

In fact, Jamaica, lumped in with Latin America and the Caribbean, at the BlackBerry World 2011 conference at the Marriott World Centre in Orlando Florida is just one of two islands in the region that have grabbed the attention of BlackBerry's Research In Motion (RIM). The other is the Dominican Republic.

Only a day after the mobile giants unveiled a range of new products, Rick Constanzo, RIM's regional managing director for Latin America, told The Gleaner that the demand for BlackBerry phones in Jamaica has inspired his team.

"We believe in localising our product for the different cultures such as Jamaica, according to the requirements of the existing markets," declared Constanzo.

Asked whether specific assessment was carried out on countries of the region, Constanzo asserted that it was such a research that had led BlackBerry to Jamaica and the Dominica Republic.

"Jamaica is among a select group of countries in which teenagers start out owning BlackBerry as their first phone," said Constanzo.

He said the assessment found that the need for BlackBerry phones in Jamaica emanates from his "highly asperational" culture, with the market shifting from feature device to smart phones.

BlackBerry on Monday formally launched with much fanfare what promises to be the latest craze on the global information market - the Play Phone - described as a multi-tasking powerhouse that propels users to "leapfrog".

The flurry of demonstration carried out on the gadget which is smaller than a laptop but larger than a Smartphone, since the start of the week, has revealed that the PlayPhone is able to provide uncompromised web browsing while performing a multiplicity of functions simultaneously.

Exciting component

If the reactions of the approximately 6,000 participants at the conference are any indicator, gadget lovers in Jamaica should go crazy over this new equipment in the coming months.

Another exciting component of the announcement is the unveiling of the new BlackBerry, dubbed the Bold 9900.

Thinner than the original, the Bold, the new gadget is distinguished by what is being characterised as an iconic design and the industry's best keyboard.

"The new BlackBerry Bold smartphone and BlackBerry 7 OS are inspired by millions of customers around the world who want the ultimate combination of performance, functionality and smile," declared Mike Lazaradis, the chief executive officer of RIM.