IBM became the latest potential suitor identified for RIM, with Bloomberg reporting that the IT giant is attracted by the troubled BlackBerry-maker’s enterprise portfolio.

Citing unnamed sources, it was reported that IBM has made an “informal approach” about acquiring the unit, which enables the delivery of secure mobile data services to corporate customers.

RIM has appointed JP Morgan and RMB Capital Markets to help it evaluate its strategic alternatives, but has stopped short of stating that disposals are on the cards.

It has instead said it is looking at “opportunities to leverage the BlackBerry platform through partnerships, licensing opportunities and strategic business model alternatives”.

The BlackBerry maker has previously identified its enterprise customer base as part of its core focus, making a disposal of this unlikely at least in the short term.

According to Bloomberg, RIM is “inclined to wait for the rollout of BlackBerry 10 phones next year before making any decision on a sale”.

The long anticipated – and delayed – platform is seen as the key factor in the company’s recovery, making it difficult to judge whether its operating performance is improving until this finally reaches the market.

While RIM is currently making losses, it has a cash pile to support it at least in the short term. This also means it is unlikely to be forced into any sales in order to support its ongoing operations for some time.

Earlier this week it was suggested that Samsung could be set to partner with RIM, although this was swiftly played-down by the South Korean handset number one.