Blackberry 2012 Annual Report Download - page 32

RIM’s involvement with these and other associations includes standards development, government advocacy, joint
marketing, participation in conferences and trade shows, training, technology licensing by RIM and business development.
Sales, Marketing and Distribution
RIM markets and sells its BlackBerry wireless solution primarily through global wireless communications carriers (carrier partners)
as well as through third party distribution channels which distribute the solution to end users. RIM has a number of carrier-focused
business units that support the sales and marketing efforts of RIM’s carrier partners through training, technical account management
and sales and marketing support. As of March 3, 2012, RIM’s marketing, sales and business development, BlackBerry operations,
customer support and technical support teams consisted of approximately 4,800 full time employees.
Customers
RIM is dependent on a number of significant global carrier partner customers with respect to the sales of its products both in terms of
the numbers of devices sold and the aggregate value of its sales.
While the Company sells to a variety of customers, one customer comprised 13% of accounts receivable as at March 3, 2012
(February 26, 2011 – one customer comprised 15%). There are no customers that comprise more than 10% of the Company’s fiscal
2012 revenue (fiscal 2011 revenue – two customers comprised 11% each).
The primary direct customers for the BlackBerry wireless solution are wireless carriers.
The Company sells GSM/GPRS/EDGE, CDMA/Ev-DO/Ev-DO Rev A, UMTS/HSPA, HSPA+ and iDEN devices and software to
carriers, who in turn bundle devices and software with airtime and sell a complete wireless solution to end customers. The Company
also sells devices through indirect channels and these devices are resold by a third party with or without a service plan from RIM’s
carrier partners. Software is licensed directly to end customers, although it is distributed by carriers, resellers and directly through
RIM. The Company’s BES supports multiple networks and devices, so that BlackBerry service from multiple carriers can be
deployed within a company using the same BES software.
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• JEDEC
• MIDI
• MIPI: Mobile Industr
y
Processor Interface
• NGMN (German
y
)
• O
p
en Mobile Alliance
• Telecommunications Industr
y
Association (TIA)
• TIA 3rd Generation Partnershi
p
Pro
j
ect 2
• UPnP Forum (Universal Plu
g
and Pla
y
• Wholesale A
pp
lications Communit
y
(WAC)
• Wi-Fi
–
Alliance
• WiMAX Forum
• Wireless World Research Forum
• World Wide Web Consortium