RIM’s Founders Resign

Jim Balsillie - Mike Lazaridis

The founders and co-director of Research In Motion (RIM), Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis, announced their resignation from the Canadian company on Sunday.

“In every successful company that is developed by its founders, there comes a time when you enter a new phase of growth and it is time that the founders pass the torch to a new management,” Lazaridis told the press.

BlackBerry handset maker’s market share in the U.S. fell from 19.7% (August) to 16.6% in the last quarter of 2011, while in the same period, Google led U.S. market with 46.9% (43.8% in the previous quarter). Apple also increased to 28.7% (27.3% in August) and Microsoft fell from 5.7% to 5.2%.

The company’s current COO, Thorsten Heins, will take over as CEO of RIM.

(MS)