BlackBerry 7520 First to
Combine Bluetooth, Speakerphone and Cross Border Walkie Talkie Services
Reston, VA and Waterloo,
ON - Nextel Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: NXTL) and
Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today announced the
availability of the BlackBerry 7520 Wireless Handheld™. The BlackBerry 7520™
features Bluetooth® technology for hands-free, wireless communications using
Bluetooth-enabled headsets and car kits. It also incorporates GPS technology
with E911 support. The BlackBerry 7520 provides a true mobile office experience,
enabling phone, Direct Connect®, email and data applications in a single
integrated device. It operates on Nextel's guaranteed all-digital network to
provide mobile professionals the freedom to access information and communicate
while away from the office.
“BlackBerry continues to be an important part of
Nextel’s wireless business solutions strategy and Nextel has made it a priority
to offer customers a true mobile office experience in a handheld device that
empowers them to make their business life and personal life easier to manage,”
said Blair Kutrow, vice president product management, Nextel Communications.
“Whether an important email or phone call while away from the office, contact
information for an important client while on a business trip, or access to your
calendar for the start time of your daughter’s soccer game, the BlackBerry 7520
from Nextel helps keep control of your busy life.”
New Features of the BlackBerry 7520 from
Nextel:
- Bluetooth capabilities
- for wireless headsets, earpieces and car kits
- Enhanced attachment viewing
– view and store JPG, BMP, GIF, PNG and TIFF files and save images directly
from attachments for easy viewing*
- Increased memory
- 32 MB flash memory plus 4 MB SRAM to provide ample storage for data and
applications
- Full wireless PIM synchronization
- enables automatic wireless synchronization of calendar, contacts, email
notes and tasks*
- Bright, backlit color screen
(supports over 65,000 colors) – easily view
information at-a-glance and control backlight intensity and duration up to
two minutes
- GPS-enabled
– designed to help police, fire and rescue to determine device location in
the event of an emergency
- Powerful Mobile Applications
– supported by new Java™ Development Environment for BlackBerry® v4.0
- Design Enhancements –
larger keypad, scratch-resistant metal bezel and exclusive Arctic Black
color
The BlackBerry 7520 also includes the features
that have made the BlackBerry 7510 from Nextel so popular and functional,
including wireless access to email and email attachments, phone, Nextel Online®
Wireless Web, intranet and organizer applications, speakerphone and Direct
Connect®, the powerful coast-to-coast and country-to-country digital
walkie-talkie service.
“The BlackBerry 7520 is a strong addition to the
product line-up and we are very pleased to continue our momentum with Nextel,”
said Larry Conlee, Chief Operating Officer, Research In Motion. “Together,
Nextel and RIM are providing a robust productivity solution for customers and a
powerful mobile application platform for developers.”
For corporate customers, BlackBerry Enterprise
Server software tightly integrates with Microsoft® Exchange or IBM® Lotus®
Domino® and works with existing enterprise systems to enable secure,
push-based, wireless access to email and other corporate data. The BlackBerry
7520 can integrate with a variety of corporate data applications targeted to key
market segments such as financial, government, distribution, professional
services, real estate, field sales and service, construction and manufacturing.
For individuals and smaller businesses,
BlackBerry Internet Service™ allows users to access up to ten-supported
corporate and/or personal email accounts (including Microsoft Exchange, IBM
Lotus Domino and many popular ISP email accounts) from a single device.
The BlackBerry 7520 from Nextel is available
today through select Nextel retail stores, online at
www.nextel.com/blackberry, or by calling 877-619-5037. Corporate customers
can also contact their account manager.
Note to Editors:
To download images of the new BlackBerry 7520, please visit
http://www.rim.com/news/kit/media/downloads/index.shtml.
About Nextel
Nextel Communications, a FORTUNE 200 company
based in Reston, Va., is a leading provider of fully integrated wireless
communications services and has built the largest guaranteed all-digital
wireless network in the country covering thousands of communities across the
United States. Today 95 percent of FORTUNE 500 companies are Nextel customers.
Nextel and Nextel Partners, Inc. currently serve 297 of the top 300 U.S. markets
where approximately 259 million people live or work.
About Research In Motion (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 BlackBerryÒ 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.
About Nextel Partners
Nextel Partners, Inc., (Nasdaq: NXTP), based in Kirkland, Wash., has exclusive
rights to offer the same fully integrated, digital wireless communications
services offered by Nextel Communications (Nextel) in mid-sized and rural
markets in 31 states where approximately 53 million people reside. Nextel
Partners and Nextel together offer the largest guaranteed all-digital wireless
network in the country serving 297 of the top 300 U.S. markets. To learn more
about Nextel Partners, visit
www.nextelpartners.com.
*BlackBerry Enterprise Server v4.0
required
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