Company Press Release:
Hutch to Launch BlackBerry in India

Mumbai, 6 October 2006 - Hutch, one of India’s leading mobile service providers, and Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM), a global leader in wireless innovation, today announced plans to launch BlackBerry® on the Hutch GPRS and EDGE networks. With the launch of BlackBerry, Hutch’s customers will be able to enjoy the trusted BlackBerry solution that supports wireless access to email, phone, text messaging, browser, organizer and other mobile applications.

Mr. Naveen Chopra, Chief Marketing Officer Hutchison Essar Ltd. said, “BlackBerry is a unique and robust mobile solution that offers a wide range of customers, from individuals to large organisations, the connectivity and productivity benefits of wireless information on the go. We are pleased that we will soon be able to offer BlackBerry to meet the needs of Hutch’s customers’ growing connectivity and communication needs.”

According to Norm Lo, Vice President, Asia Pacific at Research In Motion, “India is an important market and we’re pleased to be working with Hutch to expand our presence in the country.  Millions of mobile users around the world have chosen the robust, push-based BlackBerry platform to stay connected in their professional and personal lives and we’re very pleased to now extend the benefits of BlackBerry to Hutch’s customers in India.”

In addition to BlackBerry handsets, Hutch will offer BlackBerry® Enterprise Server and BlackBerry® Internet Service.  For corporate customers, BlackBerry Enterprise Server software tightly integrates with Microsoft® Exchange, IBM Lotus® Domino® and Novell® GroupWise® and works with existing enterprise systems to enable secure, push-based wireless access to email and other corporate data.

For individuals and smaller businesses, BlackBerry Internet Service allows users to access up to ten corporate and personal email accounts (including Microsoft Exchange, IBM Lotus Domino and most popular ISP email accounts) from a single device.

Hutch has established a very strong presence within the Corporate segment over the years and the launch of BlackBerry will further reinforce its position in this segment.

For more information please contact Hutch at blackberry@hutch.in
 


About Hutch
Hutchison Essar Limited, under the brand name Hutch, operates in 16 circles in the country. With about 19.4 million* subscribers, over the years, Hutch has been named the ‘Best Mobile Service in the country’, and the ‘Most Creative and Most Effective Advertiser of the Year’.  This year Business World magazine recognised Hutchison Essar as the “Most Respected Telecom Company of the Year”.

About RIM
Research in Motion is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of innovative wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market. Through the development of integrated hardware, software and services that support multiple wireless network standards, RIM provides platforms and solutions for seamless access to time-sensitive information including email, phone, SMS messaging, Internet and intranet-based applications. RIM technology also enables a broad array of third party developers and manufacturers to enhance their products and services with wireless connectivity to data. RIM’s portfolio of award-winning products, services and embedded technologies are used by thousands of organizations around the world and include the BlackBerry® wireless platform, the RIM Wireless Handheld™ product line, software development tools, radio-modems and software/hardware licensing agreements. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, RIM operates offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. RIM is listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market (Nasdaq: RIMM) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RIM). For more information, visit www.rim.com or www.blackberry.com.