Lenovo, a Chinese computer company, has not ruled out buying Research In Motion, the struggling Canada-based manufacturer of BlackBerry smartphones.
Wong Wai Ming, Lenovo’s Chief Financial Officer, said in an an interview with Bloomberg at the World Economic Forum, in Davos, Switzerland, that discussions were ongoing with RIM and “various combinations or strategic ventures” were being explored.
Shares in RIM responded positively to the news continuing its momentum as the launch of its BlackBerry 10 devices nears.
2012 ended badly for RIM because of declining sales, despite its products remaining popular in Africa, and its Chief Executive, Thorsten Heins, has not ruled a sale of the company.
Responding to questions regarding the latest Lenovo comments, a RIM statement said: “As he (Heins) said on our most recent results conference call on Dec. 20, we continue to examine all available options to ‘create new opportunities, focusing on areas where we will be more effective partnering rather than going it alone, and ultimately maximizing value for all stakeholders’.”
