Blackberry 2010 Annual Report Download - page 60

REPORT OF
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
ON INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING
To the Shareholders of Research In Motion Limited
We have audited Research In Motion Limited’s [the “Company”] internal control over financial reporting as of
February 27, 2010, based on criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework issued by the
Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission [“the COSO criteria”]. The Company’s
management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its
assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting. Our responsibility is to express an
opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board
(United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance
about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our
audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a
material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control
based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the
circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance
regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external
purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over
financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that [1] pertain to the maintenance of records that,
in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the
company; [2] provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit
preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that
receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of
management and directors of the company; and [3] provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or
timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a
material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect
misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that
controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the
policies or procedures may deteriorate.
In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial
reporting as of February 27, 2010, based on the COSO criteria.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board
(United States), the consolidated balance sheets of the Company as at February 27, 2010 and February 28,
2009, and the consolidated statements of operations, shareholders’ equity and cash flows for the years ended
February 27, 2010, February 28, 2009 and March 1, 2008 of the Company and our report dated April 1, 2010
expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
Kitchener, Canada, Chartered Accountants
April 1, 2010. Licensed Public Accountants
AUDITOR’S REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROL
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