RIM makes it up to BlackBerry users

Dubai: Research in Motion (RIM) is giving BlackBerry customers $100 (Dh367) in premium applications at no charge, answering calls for compensation to users who lost three days of e-mail and BlackBerry Messenger service until the network was restored on October 13.

Last week, UAE telecommunication companies etisalat and du had announced that they would compensate BlackBerry users with adjustments on their monthly bills for the BlackBerry blackout that knocked out services in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and spread to other countries as a backlog of messages mounted.

RIM announced yesterday that, following the service disruptions, it is offering each affected BlackBerry user more than $100 of premium applications at no charge as part of what the company called "an expression of appreciation for their patience during the recent service disruptions".

Offer window

"The apps will be made available to customers over the coming weeks on BlackBerry App World and will continue to be available until December 31, 2011," RIM said.

Mike Lazaridis, RIM co-CEO, said yesterday that "we have apologised to our customers and we will work tirelessly to restore their confidence. We are taking immediate and aggressive steps to help prevent something like this from happening again."