News release

Research In Motion Officially Opens for Business in Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia Business Inc. (Dec. 2004 - Nov. 2022)

The company that brought BlackBerry technology to the world has opened the doors on a new technical support operations centre in Halifax.

The Research In Motion (RIM) support centre officially opened today, April 20, with more than 50 employees already in place to provide technical services in support of the RIM global operation.

Premier Rodney MacDonald; Peter MacKay, federal Minister of Foreign Affairs and Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA); Jim Balsillie, chairman and co-CEO of Research In Motion Ltd.; and Stephen Lund, president and CEO of Nova Scotia Business Inc. (NSBI) marked the milestone with a ribbon-cutting at RIM's initial Halifax site at 36 Solutions Dr.

"RIM is renowned for its innovation, drive and energy," said Mr. MacDonald. "The same characteristics describe Nova Scotia's talented IT professionals. We're proud to see our talented Nova Scotia workforce engaged in this progressive, world-leading company."

A significant addition to the province's robust information technology (IT) and business community, RIM is creating 1,200 new jobs over a five-year period at its technical support operations centre in Halifax.

"As an undisputed global leader in mobile communications, RIM's success has put Canadian innovation on the world map," said Mr. MacKay. "There are no boundaries to where RIM can take its growth, and the company's new Halifax operation will help fuel its ongoing success."

RIM announced its new Nova Scotia centre last November. The company's expansion was undertaken with the help of a $14-million performance-based payroll rebate through Nova Scotia's business development agency, NSBI, and a $5-million financial package, including recruitment and training incentives, from the province's Office of Economic Development.

"Nova Scotia's strong post-secondary research environment and talented IT workforce have provided us with a fantastic labour base for recruitment," said Mr. Balsillie. "In Halifax, we have found a vibrant and creative IT community to validate our decision to make Nova Scotia a location of growth for our rapidly expanding global operations."

The IT professionals at RIM's Nova Scotia home will be part of a dynamic company that has created one of the world's most compelling and rapidly adopted technologies.

"NSBI, on behalf of the business and IT communities in Nova Scotia, is proud to welcome RIM to the province," said Mr. Lund. "The reason leading companies like RIM are choosing Nova Scotia is simple: world-class people and competitive business advantages for IT growth."

RIM is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of innovative wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market. BlackBerry is the world leading wireless enterprise solution. Developed by RIM, it keeps mobile professionals connected to people and information. Since launching BlackBerry in 1999, RIM's customer base has grown to more than five million BlackBerry subscribers and is supported on carrier networks around the world.

Nova Scotia Business Inc. is the private sector-led business development agency for Nova Scotia. NSBI is the investment attraction arm of the province and helps companies in Nova Scotia meet their growth potential through business advisory, export development and financial services.