For the past few months, cellular service provider Partner and U.S. wireless communications designer Research in Motion have been negotiating the distribution and operation of BlackBerry devices in Israel. The BlackBerry integrates phone, SMS, email, browser and organizer applications in a single wireless device.
The BlackBerry has become the hottest executive fashion in the U.S. business sector, as CEOs use them to get email and synchronize calendars with corporate activities from any location. Although no-less-effective rivals are already sold in Israel, the arrival of the BlackBerry engenders great excitement among Israeli managers anxious to hang the accessory from their belts.
The plan is apparently to import tens of thousands of the model recently launched in Europe, which is based on GSM technology. Pelephone tried to convince RIM to get into the Isreli market a year ago, but RIM showed little interest, and executives said Israel didn't fit its strategic goals.
[2004-10-08] BlackBerry tempts Israelis
