RIM and Tech Data Announce Distribution Agreement for BlackBerry Solutions Targeted at Small to Mid-Sized Businesses in the U.S.

Waterloo, Ontario and Clearwater, Florida – Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) and Tech Data Corporation (NASDAQ: TECD) today announced a new agreement that enables Tech Data to distribute BlackBerry® devices, software and technical support services to its channel of over 60,000 value-added resellers in the United States. The agreement also allows Tech Data to support the end-to-end sale of BlackBerry solutions for small to mid-sized businesses through Tech Data’s new TDMobility offering operated by ActivateIT, a Tech Data and Brightstar Corp. joint venture company.

“This agreement opens up new channels for BlackBerry solutions targeted at small to mid-sized businesses in the U.S.,” said Derek Peper, Vice President, Enterprise Sales and Strategic Partnerships at Research In Motion. “RIM is also pleased to support the innovative TDMobility offering through this new relationship with Tech Data – an offering that supports the end-to-end sale of BlackBerry solutions, from devices and software through to training and technical support. This is a great win for RIM, Tech Data, Brightstar, the reseller community, our carrier partners and, most importantly, our business customers.”

Bringing together two of the world’s largest technology distribution companies, Tech Data and Brightstar, gives TDMobility tremendous size and a wide-ranging set of skills. Tech Data's existing operations allow TDMobility to simplify the entire mobility transaction for resellers, while providing access to state-of-the-art mobile devices, a streamlined activation process with leading mobile carriers, and a commission structure that can improve profitability and cash flow for resellers. Completing the solution, TDMobility enables resellers to create a recurring revenue stream by taking advantage of ActivateIT’s Cell Manage platform to help resellers simplify their customers’ deployments by offering consolidated billing.

“RIM is a strategic vendor partner for our launch of TDMobility into the channel, and ActivateIT is key to making the complete solution possible,” said Joe Quaglia, Senior Vice President of U.S. Marketing at Tech Data. “We formed a strategic alliance with Brightstar to enable just this kind of offering and we’re excited to offer our reseller customers the opportunity to increase their footprint in the channel by making complete, end-to-end BlackBerry solutions more easily available.”

“We’re always looking at the best way to serve our customers,” said Charles Kriete, President of ActivateIT. “Understanding what the marketplace needs is important, but it is our relationship with both RIM and Tech Data that is making this solution possible.”

Tech Data’s reseller customers can offer BlackBerry software, technical support and other services to their clients starting today. BlackBerry device distribution and activation are also offered today through TDMobility for select partners, with general availability planned for later this year.