RIM would consider licensing BlackBerry 10 software, CEO says

Research In Motion, which is expected to unveil two new phones next week, may at some point allow its BlackBerry software to run on devices made by other companies.

In an interview with Die Welt, a German newspaper, RIM Chief Executive Thorsten Heins said the Canadian cellphone company would be willing to consider licensing its mobile operating system to others in the industry. He called the idea “conceivable.”

Another possibility that RIM isn’t opposed at looking into would be selling its hardware production business, Heins told the German paper.

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But before doing anything drastic, Heins said, the company will wait to see how the company’s own devices running BlackBerry 10 perform in the market.

The upcoming operating system has faced delays but is finally set to launch Jan. 30.

For RIM, which disclosed its first decline in customers when it reported its 2012 third-quarter earnings, the launch of BlackBerry 10 is a “crucial moment,” Heins said.

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