Telma, Alcatel-Lucent and RIM Announce the Launch of the BlackBerry Solution in Madagascar

Antananarivo, Madagascar, Paris, France and Waterloo, Ontario - Telma, a mobile operator in Madagascar, Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) and Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today announced the launch of the BlackBerry® wireless solution in Madagascar. Using BlackBerry® smartphones Telma customers will be able to wirelessly send and receive emails, make phone calls, browse the Internet, send text messages and access corporate and lifestyle applications when on the move.

Telma is working with Alcatel-Lucent and RIM to help customers stay connected to people and the information that matters to them through BlackBerry® smartphones. Based on its distribution agreement with RIM, Alcatel-Lucent has provided global integration services to Telma with the end-to-end implementation, launch, and on-going support for delivering the BlackBerry solution to the market.

“This partnership illustrates the desire of Telma to forge strong strategic links with global partners, whose technological and marketing expertise allows us to ensure our business customers receive a level of service that meets the highest international standards,” said Ron Allard, Chief Executive Officer of Telma. “Progressive operators like Telma are looking for converged solutions, services and suppliers to give them a competitive advantage in their markets. Alcatel-Lucent has unique global integration expertise that helps to ensure that we can quickly and effectively introduce the BlackBerry solution.”

Alcatel-Lucent and Telma will work together to provide Telma’s customers with BlackBerry smartphones for easy, mobile access to email and the Internet, as well as a wide range of corporate and personal applications. The BlackBerry solution enables enhanced business communications and increased employee productivity, delivering a significant competitive advantage to Telma’s enterprise customers. Users can also enjoy the flexibility of web browsing and communications with friends, family and colleagues on the go and at their convenience.

“This agreement further reinforces Alcatel-Lucent’s ability to leverage our global strengths and local presence to deliver enterprise-managed communications and extend value-added services, enabling operators to quickly meet market demand,” said Frederic Rose, President of Alcatel-Lucent’s business in Europe, Africa and Asia. “As a result Telma customers will be able to enjoy the freedom and flexibility afforded by BlackBerry smartphones for staying connected to communications and information whenever they wish.”

“We are pleased to extend the availability of the BlackBerry solution to Madagascar in cooperation with Telma and Alcatel-Lucent,” said Charmaine Eggberry, Vice President and Managing Director of RIM, Europe, Middle East and Africa. “We believe Telma customers in Madagascar will quickly realise the advantages that BlackBerry smartphones can bring to organizations and individuals that strive to be more productive, flexible and ultimately more successful in work and life.”

Initially Telma will offer customers the BlackBerry® 8800 smartphone.

About BlackBerry smartphones
The BlackBerry 8800 enable users to:
• Send and receive email, instant messaging (IM), SMS and MMS messages
• Make voice calls
• Manage calendar and organizer functions
• Access the web and a run a range of other mobile applications
• Feature a full AZERTY Keyboard.

The BlackBerry 8800 smartphone includes built-in GPS functionality for enhanced access to location based applications and services. It also features a media player and an expandable memory card slot to allow users to play and store music and video files.

Telma is introducing BlackBerry® Enterprise Server for corporate use and BlackBerry® Internet Service for smaller businesses and individual users.

BlackBerry Enterprise Server is targeted specifically for organisations that manage their own email servers. The BlackBerry Enterprise Server software tightly integrates with IBM® Lotus® Domino®, Microsoft® Exchange and Novell® GroupWise® and offers advanced encryption and IT policy controls to enable secure, push-based wireless access to email and other corporate data.

BlackBerry Internet Service is designed for smaller businesses and individuals. It allows customers to access up to 10 supported corporate and personal email accounts (including most popular ISP email accounts such as, Yahoo! Mail and Google Mail) from a single device.

About Telma
Set up at the end of the 19th century, Telma, the first operator of telecommunications frames in Madagascar, is the reference in telecommunications in Madagascar. Privatized in 2004, in parallel to its own development as private society, Telma is mainly involved in some “public utility” missions: by setting 5,000 public phones cabins in the island, by launching the CDMA fixed phone system, and nowadays, by extending the VSAT network through Madagascar. As the first convergent operator in Madagascar, Telma is gathering all of the information technologies and telecoms activities. Telma also offers integrated solutions for fixed phone, mobile and Internet.

Operator of the other operators, Telma is the main provider for the other phone operators and ISPs. In 2005, Telma launched the ADSL, and in 2007 the SDSL. Since 2005, Telma has committed to start the installation of the National Backbone, which will totally transform the economical activities in the country. Compared to the year 2000, the highway of information, developed on the main roads of the island, increases its capacity up to 70 times. Telma, the only Malagasy representative in the EASSY consortium, takes up the challenge to meet the Madagascar technology requirements for the next 20 years. Telma’s ambition is to develop Madagascar as an international call centers platform, data outsourcing firms and a digital paradise for investors.

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 BlackBerry® 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 Alcatel-Lucent
Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) provides solutions that enable service providers, enterprises and governments worldwide, to deliver voice, data and video communication services to end-users. As a leader in fixed, mobile and converged broadband networking, IP technologies, applications, and services, Alcatel-Lucent offers the end-to-end solutions that enable compelling communications services for people at home, at work and on the move. With operations in more than 130 countries, Alcatel-Lucent is a local partner with global reach. The company has the most experienced global services team in the industry, and one of the largest research, technology and innovation organizations in the telecommunications industry. Alcatel-Lucent achieved adjusted proforma revenues of Euro 18.3 billion in 2006 and is incorporated in France, with executive offices located in Paris. [All figures exclude impact of activities transferred to Thales]. For more information, visit Alcatel-Lucent on the Internet: http://www.alcatel-lucent.com