For anyone looking to pick up a new BlackBerry in the near future, take a look under the battery; you just may see a new location listed there. RIM has recently announced that “several smartphones from the BlackBerry portfolio” will be manufactured in Malaysia; Penang to be more precise. While it’s said that these smartphones will be available globally, it’s safe to assume that this is to help work the Asian market as well.
The plant was opened on July 1st, so start checking where your BlackBerry was made! You may already be a proud owner of a Malaysian BlackBerry. Ah, gotta love that new BlackBerry smell! Press release and a sneak peek inside the manufacturing plant after the jump.
Source: Orenity
Research In Motion starts manufacturing BlackBerry smartphones in Malaysia
Research In Motion (RIM), the company behind the award winning BlackBerry solution, today announced that it will manufacture BlackBerry smartphones in Malaysia. Starting from 1st July 2011, several smartphones from the BlackBerry portfolio will be produced in Penang, Malaysia for use by customers around the world.
Dany Bolduc, Vice President of Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam commented: “To support the growing demand for BlackBerry smartphones in Asia and across the world, we are pleased to expand our manufacturing operations to Malaysia. We continuously strive to improve the way we serve our customers and partners, and fundamentally believe that producing BlackBerry smartphones in Malaysia will help achieve this goal.”
Datuk Jalilah Baba, Director General of the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) said, “I am proud that Malaysia fits into RIM’s overall growth strategy for the region and warmly welcome the company’s decision to manufacture its products here. BlackBerry is synonymous with quality. RIM has made a wise decision to leverage the talented workforce that Malaysia has to offer. This also reflects RIM’s confidence in the business environment of Malaysia. ”
