Brightstar Expands Global Reach Into Africa With RIM Distribution Agreement

MIAMI and WATERLOO, Ontario, Dec. 13, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Brightstar Corp., a multi-billion dollar global services company providing solutions to manufacturers, operators, retailers, and enterprises in the telecommunications industry, today announced an expansion of its distribution agreement with Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM; TSX: RIM) into Africa.

Brightstar will leverage and expand its presence in Africa and begin distributing BlackBerry® products to seven countries in the Sub Sahara Africa region, including Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Cote D'Ivoire, Uganda, Tanzania and Mozambique.  

Through its distribution centers and staff in Africa, Brightstar will initially distribute the BlackBerry® Curve™ 8520 and BlackBerry® Bold™ 9700 smartphones, in addition to BlackBerry software and accessories. The BlackBerry smartphones will be available from various network operators and retail outlets throughout Sub Sahara Africa.  

"This expanded agreement underscores the strategic nature of our alliance with RIM and our growing global presence within the industry," said Arturo Osorio, President Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa at Brightstar. "We look forward to taking our customized channel solutions and insights and working together to bring a larger portfolio of BlackBerry smartphones into this new market."

"We are pleased to further our relationship with Brightstar in order to expand our reach in the market. We look forward to working with Brightstar to bring more BlackBerry smartphones to more countries in Africa," said Deon Liebenberg, Regional Director for Sub Sahara Africa at RIM.

For more than five years, RIM and Brightstar have enjoyed a strong and growing global relationship and, with today's announcement, the companies have now expanded their collaboration to 67 countries and regions. In addition to Africa, Brightstar currently distributes BlackBerry products to network operators, retailers and Value-Added Resellers (VARs) in the United States, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean.

About Brightstar Corp.

Brightstar is a multi-billion dollar global services company providing solutions to Manufacturers, Operators, Retailers, and Enterprises serving the telecommunications industry. With sales and distribution facilities on six continents, Brightstar offers its customers the largest global reach, enabling the right product to be in the right place, at the right time. For more information on Brightstar, please visit http://www.brightstarcorp.com.

About Research In Motion (RIM)

Research In Motion, a global leader in wireless innovation, revolutionized the mobile industry with the introduction of the BlackBerry® solution in 1999. Today, BlackBerry products and services are used by millions of customers around the world to stay connected to the people and content that matter most throughout their day. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, RIM operates offices in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. 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.

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SOURCE Brightstar Corp.