RIM Returns After Overnight Outage

BlackBerry maker Research in Motion  (RIM) suffered
a service outage Tuesday, but said service for most customers has now been
restored.

RIM said it was still investigating the root cause of the outage and is “closely monitoring systems in order to maintain normal service levels.”

The company added that phone service on the devices was not affected.

A message on its customer service line still says that the company is “currently
experiencing technical difficulties with BlackBerry services that may cause
delays in sending or receiving messages.”

BlackBerry has 8 million subscribers, approximately 5.8 million of whom are
in North America, according to fourth-quarter figures discussed by the
company during an April 11 investor call. It is not known whether the outage
affects customers outside North America.

The device maker has struggled to put a spate of bad news behind it. The SEC
concluded an investigation of how the company handled stock options earlier
this year, and co-CEO Jim Balsillie resigned from the board of directors.

Last year it also settled
a patent-infringement case.

BlackBerry released
Pearl, a consumer version of its handheld device, last fall. Co-CEO Jim
Balsillie said the new product was doing “exceedingly well,” with service
available from 90 carriers worldwide.

Balsillie added that over 270 carriers provide BlackBerry service worldwide.