RIM beat analyst forecasts with another strong quarter, driven by strong sales of BlackBerry smartphones worldwide. Record BlackBerry device shipments of 14.2 million were up 40 percent year on year, with approximately 5.1 million net new BlackBerry subscriber accounts added, taking the total above 55 million. For the three months to 27 November 2010 (its fiscal third quarter), the company reported net income of US$911.1 million, up 45 percent year-on-year, on revenue of US$5.49 billion, up 40 percent. Jim Balsillie, Co-CEO at the company (pictured), said that “RIM’s business continues to grow and diversify as BlackBerry adoption accelerates in markets around the world.” Around 44 percent of RIM’s revenue came from beyond its core markets of Canada, the UK and the US. Outside of the big three, no single market accounted for more than 5 percent of the total, indicating that its revenue base is “increasingly diversified.”

On the company’s conference call, Balsillie discussed the company’s relationship with US number one operator Verizon Wireless, following reports earlier this week that claimed RIM’s performance with this partner is tanking. “Our relationship with Verizon remains strong. And we look forward to rolling out a number of exciting new products and services with this partner over the coming year, including the availability of BlackBerry 6 for Verizon’s Curve 3G and Bold users early in the new year,” he said. The company’s latest touchscreen device, Torch, was made available in “over 75 new markets” during the third quarter, with operator campaigns “driving excellent results, which we expect to continue throughout the holiday season.” The rollout of RIM’s mass-market BlackBerry Curve 3G also continued during the period, launching with 118 operators in 48 countries, and this momentum is expected to be maintained in the fourth quarter, as it rolls out in Latin America with “significant carrier support and promotion.”

RIM also said that Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis, his fellow co-CEO, have been appointed as co-chairmen of the company. According to Canada’s Financial Post, the move goes against best practice in the country, which is that the chairman and CEO roles should be split, with the role of the board being to oversee the management – a challenge, if both are being headed by the same executives. Balsillie stepped-down from the CEO role at RIM in 2007, following a review of the company related to its stock options and related accounting, noting at this time that the move was “consistent with current best practices in corporate governance.”

For the fourth quarter of 2010, the company is anticipating revenue in the US$5.5 billion to US$5.7 billion range, with device shipments of between 14.5 million and 15 million units. The figures include no revenue from the PlayBook tablet, which is expected to reach the market in 2011.