Research in Motion considering selling its hardware business after BlackBerry 10 launch

The chief executive of BlackBerry-maker Research in Motion has confirmed the troubled smartphone giant is considering selling its hardware business following the launch of its next-generation BlackBerry 10 devices.

According to Reuters, RIM CEO Thorsten Heins made the revelation during an interview with German newspaper Die Welt.

“There are several options, including the sale of the hardware production is as much as licensing our software” Heins says.

“But there is no reason for us to decide in haste. It is important, first of all, to successfully put BlackBerry 10 on the market. Then we shall see.”

As SmartCompany reported in June last year, the separation of the company is an option being investigated by RIM as part of a strategic review it is conducting with RBC and JP Morgan.

Meanwhile, in August last year, credible reports emerged that IBM was interested in purchasing the company’s enterprise messaging service should the BlackBerry 10 hardware fail to gain traction in the market.

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