RIM buys content delivery company

Research In Motion hopes to add a content delivery platform to its offerings with a planned acquisition of Chalk Media, announced Thursday.

RIM offered to buy Chalk Media, developer of a platform that delivers content including video to BlackBerry users, for C$23 million (US$18 million). As part of the agreement, RIM has loaned Chalk C$2 million, which will provide working capital to the company until the deal goes through.

Chalk's Mobile chalkboard allows users, such as an enterprise, to push content out to BlackBerry users, who could be employees or customers. The content, which Chalk calls "pushcasts," can include text, graphics, video and audio. Chalkboard lets administrators track usage of the content, which can be encrypted and prevented from being forwarded or copied.

Chalk's board has approved RIM's offer. The companies expect the deal to close in February.

Chalk is based in Vancouver, British Columbia, while RIM is in Waterloo, Ontario.

The acquisition follows RIM's announcement on Wednesday that it has made a hostile takeover bid for security vendor Certicom. If RIM is successful, Certicom's technology, Elliptic Curve Cryptography, would help RIM target companies and government agencies with very high security requirements.

IDG News Service

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