BlackBerry Launches Tech Center in Rio de Janeiro in Partnership with PUC-Rio

Source: BlackBerry Press - Press Releases - August 8, 2013 

BlackBerry Launches Tech Center in Rio de Janeiro in Partnership with PUC-Rio 

The BlackBerry Tech Centers in Brazil are designed to help students and developers take advantage of the growing global mobile ecosystem

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – August 8, 2013 – As part of the BlackBerry® Academic Program, a global outreach and support program aimed at students and mobile application developers, BlackBerry® (NASDAQ: BBRY; TSX: BB) opened the doors of its  fourth BlackBerry® Tech Center in Brazil. The center launched today is a partnership with PUC-Rio. The program serves a dual purpose: to provide ongoing training and the space and resources necessary to help students and developers to create and test new mobile applications, and to nurture their entrepreneurship by helping to generate business opportunities for them.

The Honorable John Baird, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, who participated in the Tech Center launch ceremony said, “PUC-Rio has a long history of collaboration with Canada, especially with the University of Waterloo. The partnership between BlackBerry and PUC-Rio with the opening of the Tech Center will foster innovation, create jobs, growth and prosperity in both of our countries and in international markets”.

Joao Stricker, Managing Director for BlackBerry Brazil added, "The new center, the fourth we have launched in Brazil since December 2012, reflects a deep and long-term commitment to the country. Rio de Janeiro has a vibrant culture, a great application developer community, and a fantastic business environment.PUC-RIO has one of the best computer sciences programs in the country and our partnership with the university is our way to invite this great ecosystem to join us in the creation of the future of mobile computing.”

Through the BlackBerry Academic Program, BlackBerry is committed to strengthening the information technology industry in Brazil, broadening and empowering the local developer community, and fostering the skills and competitiveness of local providers. The project is intended to drive innovation, increase the number of local BlackBerry platform developers, and nurture local businesses growth and entrepreneurship.

The BlackBerry Tech Center will be located at PUC-Rio. It will be open weekdays and will be staffed by specialized technicians who can provide support to developers working on the BlackBerry platform.

About BlackBerry

A global leader in wireless innovation, BlackBerry® revolutionized the mobile industry when it was introduced in 1999. Today, BlackBerry aims to inspire the success of our millions of customers around the world by continuously pushing the boundaries of mobile experiences. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, BlackBerry operates offices in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. BlackBerry is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market (NASDAQ: BBRY) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: BB). For more information, visit www.blackberry.com .