* Update: Turns out Patrick Spence took the job of CCO at Sonos *

Patrick Spence worked at RIM for 14 years. His most recent position was Executive Vice President of Global Sales, reporting directly to the CEO. For a guy who is under 40, this is a prestigious position to hold. He climbed up the ranks at RIM quickly.

I've been a fan of Patrick. He was a visible public face for RIM. He has broad, global sales experience, and having held at least two regional VP positions (Asia Pacific and North Amercica) over his years at RIM.

So why did he quit? And what does it mean for RIM? I'm not sure what the right answer is yet. I chatted last night with a few folks who follow RIM closely and it seems everyone is still digging for the truth.

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Gavin Kim held the position of General Manager, Windows Phone Marketing at Microsoft for the last five months. Prior to that he was in a senior role at Samsung, in charge of consumer and enterprise services.

Microsoft has confirmed that Kim left Microsoft for personal reasons. For those unfamiliar, that just means he wasn't fired.

We know all too well how badly RIM needs a good Chief Marketing Officer. Thorsten has said this is a high priority. And on the last conference call, he said that RIM is close to hiring someone.

We haven't heard anything since then. Could Gavin Kim be RIM's new hire? If it is, the pitch from RIM must have been pretty strong to get the guy to leave Microsoft after only five months.

Hopefully we will find out soon enough what RIM is doing about marketing.

Kevin and a Ham sandwich have a better chance of buying RIM over these guys...

Uhh... ok. Read the press below. 

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As promised, we recorded a CrackBerry podcast today to discuss all of the news and fallout surrounding yesterday's Q4 earnings announcement by RIM. We've seen a lot of straight up bad news reporting over the last 24 hours since CEO Thorsten Heins spoke on the investors call which took a lot of statements at partial value (no, RIM is not abandoning the consumer market and no, the company is not getting sold off tomorrow - reporters need to learn to wait until a call is done before writing their stories). We've also seen a mix of reactions on the blogosphere today at both extremes, with titles ranging from RIM is Dead to It's Time to Believe in RIM Again. Fun stuff. On CrackBerry we gave a straight up assessment of RIM's weak results, and appreciated Heins' matter of fact way in speaking about them and the challenges ahead.

We spend the first half of the show talking about why RIM isn't dead just yet. Between yesterday and today nothing has really changed for RIM. The challenges and work to be done are the same as they have been for the past several months. They need to keep the RIM boat afloat on BlackBerry 7 and service revenue streams for a couple more wavy quarters while they bring BlackBerry 10 to market. With cash in the bank, despite slowing sales they still have time to execute on their already in motion plans. BlackBerry 10 phones are going to need rock solid hardware, software, apps and some carrier love to make a splash and set things up for a comeback, but even if things don't go quite to plan we think RIM's Plan B can keep them fighting in the mobile space. You'll definitely want to listen in.   

Following up all the State of BlackBerry discussion, I give my podcast review of the Porsche Design P'9981 BlackBerry, and from there I "WIN THE INTERNET" by guessing at how RIM is going to incorporate "tiles/widgets" into BlackBerry 10. We start looking forward to BlackBerry World and BlackBerry Jam as well, and talk about that sexy BlackBerry 10 alpha hardware that RIM is going to give out (guess who's already touched it?!). 

Adam, Chris Umi and Craig join me for this one. Hit play and let's Rock & Roll This! Enjoy the show.

Listen: iTunes Audio | iTunes Video | RSS Audio | RSS Video | Audio Download | Video Download

While RIM may be placing their American advertising into high gear they certainly aren't leaving out the country in which they are located.  RIM is asking students from across Canadian colleges and universities to Be Bold and become their campus superstar, in a chance to win thousands in scholarship money. RIM is looking to hand out up to $4,000 to the first place student who can compete and successfully come out on top during two challenges, and they are:

Challenge one:  On-Campus Event #1 - Stand out from the crowd and get ready to make the boldest move yet on camera with the Spotlight Challenge from March 15th to March 23rd.

Challenge two:  On-Campus Event #2 - Throw the boldest party yet with the Bring Your Own BlackBerry Challenge from March 24th to April 8th.

All the 18 finalists will get $500 and one of the latest BlackBerry Smartphones and the top 10 will receive scholarships ranging from $250 up to $4,000. So if you're a Canadian student and would like to show BlackBerry that you can "Be Bold" on your campuses grab the link below and may the best BlackBerry fan win!

Signup to become the next Be Bold Superstar on your campus

This is an editorial that's been in my head for a while now, and if you listened to my recent guest appearance on the Engadget Mobile Podcast you will have already heard a good chunk of it. With today being Valentine's Day and this article aimed at re-building the love for BlackBerry in the USA, the timing is right to publish it.

Long story short, I think Research In Motion formally needs to set up a BlackBerry USA division, complete with a newly appointed President of BlackBerry USA. Doing so will help RIM to better control the "BlackBerry" message within America and more importantly, help place a more clear distinction and barrier between BlackBerry USA, where sales are lagging and the brand isn't perceived so hot right now, and BlackBerry in the rest of the world, where the brand is still held in high regards.

Furthermore, as the company launches its new BlackBerry 10 phone line later this year, having a dedicated President of BlackBerry USA whose key role is to communicate with US media and Wall Street will help foster a stronger relationship with the company. I like RIM's new CEO Thorsten Heins a lot, but he can't spend all of his time doing interviews - he has to actually run the company. Unfortunately, through this transitional period and into the launch of BlackBerry 10, I think a lot of BlackBerry face time is needed in the USA. Having an extra well-positioned BlackBerry spokesperson to share the work load on the communications front will only help.

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I'm still in Amsterdam winding down BlackBerry DevCon Europe, but I just couldn't wait to get home to call my broker to place an order to double up my investment in Research In Motion. Readers of CrackBerry will remember I bought my first "symbolic" share of RIMM stock leading up to the company's Annual General Meeting of Shareholders this past June at a price of $27.75. With that share now trading below $17, I've decided as a gesture of my growing faith in RIM it's time to double up on the original investment and buy TWO more shares of RIM stock (see the execution order above). :)

There was no specific piece of news or information or technical analysis that prompted me to take this action. More so, I just woke up this morning with a gut feeling and had to roll with my instincts. I'm feeling bullish on BlackBerry. Between the new CEO Thorsten Heins, my experience on the Engadget Mobile Podcast playing BlackBerry defender, the look of that first BB10 phone (which I'm sure will evolve by launch to be even awesomer), the positive vibe at BlackBerry DevCon Europe.... it just all feels like the stars are starting to align. Yes, there are plenty of challenges still and lots of work to be done, but I think RIM employees really are jacked up to Rock & Roll their way through it. I'm feeing good.

So there you have it. Full disclosure. I doubled my investment and tripled my shares in Research In Motion. :-)

It's always fun to see what employees of Research In Motion do outside of the company as side projects. Recently the Senior Vice President of Design at RIM, Todd Wood, was selected by The Interior Design Show (IDS) to design a new version of the iconic "Julian" chair by Magis. Todd wasn't the only designer chosen, and in fact was one of 20 renowned designers from all corners of the globe that were chosen to put their own spin on a chair, each of which was auctioned off January 26th with proceeds from the auction benefitting the ONEXONE non-profit children's foundation. The organization is committed to improving the lives of children in the U.S., Canada and Haiti and focuses on 5 sectors that are essential to children’s overall well-being: Water, Hunger, Healthcare, Education and Play.

Todd’s design, “PowerPup,” takes the original design of the chair a step further by integrating the ability to charge your smartphone. His interpretation of a redesigned “Julian” chair allows this dog-shaped chair to now “fetch” and charge a BlackBerry Bold 9900 smartphone in its mouth. Todd and his team are responsible for the look and feel of BlackBerry branded smartphones, tablets and accessories. Todd’s award-winning work has been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, and also featured on two different postage stamps commemorating Industrial Design in Canada.

Additionally, RIM joined forces with RADO and the Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCADU) to explore the concepts of time and communication by two future-oriented and iconic brands. Results of a semester long course, mentored by marketing experts from RADO and designers from BlackBerry, will be showcased at the RADO Exhibit at the Interior Design Show 2012. To learn more about the design projects, see the press release after the break.

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If you've watched any NHL games recently you likely noticed a small influx of BlackBerry marketing happening and that's not simply because Jim Balsillie longs to own an NHL franchise. No, it's because RIM is amping up their marketing and as new CEO and President of RIM, Thorsten Heins mentioned -- they know they need to work on such things.

Recently a portion of the NHLPA site was dedicated to five players, including Anaheim Ducks winger Bobby Ryan, Toronto Maple Leafs winger Joffrey Lupul, New York Rangers goaltender Martin Biron, Philadelphia Flyers winger Scott Hartnell and finally, New York Islanders forward Michael Grabner. Those five players will be participating in the NHLPA Players PlayBook where they capture all their events on a BlackBerry PlayBook and post them or as the tag line goes:

Move over Hollywood—5 players are moving behind the camera for an all-access look at their lives off the ice. From the dressing room to their living room and beyond, The NHLPA Players’ Playbook delivers exclusive videos shot by the NHL players themselves.

If you head on over to the site, you can sign up but full access isn't being given right away so we have no idea if there is an app or something along those lines to go along with the promotion but if you refer people either through Twitter, Google+, Linkedin or Facebook you can gain early access to program. That said; we expect a lot more of this marketing to come from RIM in 2012 -- it's the sort of thing they need to have in place.

Check out the NHLPA Players PlayBook Site
Discuss in the CrackBerry Forums

Wow. HUGE news is out tonight from Research In Motion. Lots of follow up to come so keep it locked to CrackBerry. Read the official press release below and check out all of our related stories in the links at the bottom of this post.

Press Release

WATERLOO, ONTARIO, Jan 22, 2012 -- The Board of Directors of BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM) today announced that, acting on the recommendation of its Co-Chief Executive Officers to implement the succession plan they previously submitted to the Board, it has unanimously named Thorsten Heins as President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Heins was also appointed to RIM's Board. The Board acted after conducting its own due diligence. Both appointments are effective immediately.

Mike Lazaridis, former Co-Chair and Co-CEO, has become Vice Chair of RIM's Board and Chair of the Board's new Innovation Committee. As Vice Chair, he will work closely with Mr. Heins to offer strategic counsel, provide a smooth transition and continue to promote the BlackBerry brand worldwide.

Mr. Heins said he looks forward to continuing to work with Mr. Lazaridis, globally recognized as a technology pioneer. He said, "Mike created a whole new way of communicating and I look forward to continuing our close collaboration."

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Directly following up on the rumors of a Samsung acquisition of Research In Motion, Samsung has now come forward to lay down some official word on the matter. In speaking to Reuters, Samsung spokesman James Chung noted:

"We haven't considered acquiring the firm and are not interested in (buying RIM)," 

To address the news further, James Chung also noted that Research In Motion had not approached Samsung on the matter. Research In Motion stock saw a rise of over 10% with the news but with Samsung now confirming it to be nothing more than a rumor -- we'll see where the stock ends up.

Source: Reuters

Research In Motion is sponsoring another contest this month on Twitter, with lots of great prizes available to be won. From January 16th - 27th, questions will be posted to the @BlackBerry twitter account. To enter to win the prizes, answer the question, and be sure to include the hashtag #JanuBerry in the message. You can enter once per question, and every 10th correct answer wins a prize. You can win all sorts of things from a BlackBerry Bold 9900 or Torch 9850, a BlackBerry PlayBook, BlackBerry cases, BBMing gloves, BlackBerry beanies, and BBM stickers. You should probably follow the @BlackBerry twitter account if you want to play, as winners will be notified via direct message. Full details and rules/regulations can be found at the link below.

More information on the #JanuBerry contest sponsored by RIM

After a long day walking the show floor at CES2012 the last thing we wanted to do was to walk to the monorail station, ride the train back to our hotel and forge our way through the maze that is the MGM Grand Hotel back to our room.

RIM came to our rescue with the BlackBerry limo. All we had to do was send a BBM us for a ride!! and presto! within 20 minutes the limo rolled up and took us home.

As you can tell in the video I was very tired and in need of a rest. Thank you so much BlackBerry for pampering the BlackBerry fans faithful! And wow. Talk about a big limo. This rig was monsterous.

RIM says thank you to the BlackBerry faithful at CES2012

RIM has an army out in full force at CES2012 adding BlackBerry users to BBM for the purpose of pampering us with limo rides, snacks and charged batteries. We were met on the platform coming off the monorail at the Las Vegas Convention Center by these PR folks with QR codes hanging around their necks.

We were asked to scan the code to add the 3 BBM accounts for specific CES2012 conveniences. One contact will arrange to get you a charged battery swap, another will hook you up with some CES water and snacks and the third code will get you access to the BlackBerry Hummer limousine for a ride around Las Vegas.

We took advantage of the Hummer for a ride back to our hotel after a very long day 1. On day 2 of CES I plan to try the BBM code for some much needed water.

Seriously, where did 2011 go? I know people say it every year, but I swear I blinked and 6 months flew by. The new year is just a few days away, which means everyone is getting set to party like it's 1999. (People still do that, right?) The biggest party of them all takes place in New York City, where since 1972 Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve has been held (with Ryan Seacrest as co-host since 2005). Along with performances by various singers/performers, the show provides live coverage of the dropping of the Times Square Ball in NYC's Times Square.

This is a big year for the show, as it's the 40th year it's been shown and since it's on a Saturday, the show will run for 5 1/2 hours including pre-show. This year, we are happy to hear that the show is being sponsored by BlackBerry! What better time and place to see the BlackBerry name? A new year, the new #BeBold slogan, and millions of viewers across America tuned in, ready for the fresh start that only a new year can bring. Word on the street is that BlackBerry will be running some Tweets on the big board in Times Square, so stayed tuned for updates on that as well.

How are you celebrating the new year? Will you be home watching Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest sponsored by BlackBerry (wow that's a mouthful), or do you have plans to go out? If you're brave enough to actually go to Times Square for the big event, be sure to snap some pictures and send them in!

Source: Inside BlackBerry Blog