RIM offers free apps following service interruptions

WATERLOO, Ont. - Research In Motion (TSX:RIM) says it will offer its Blackberry subscribers a selection of premium apps for free to show appreciation for customers' patience during the recent worldwide service disruptions.

The Waterloo, Ont.-based company says the apps will be worth a total of $100 for each customer.

The list of apps provided with the announcement includes iSpeech Translator, which converts words spoken or typed into the phone into multiple languages. A variety of popular mobile phone games were also listed, including versions of the Sims, Bejeweled, Texas Hold’em Poker and Bubble Bash.

Outages for RIM email, texting and Internet services began last Monday in Europe and spread to the Middle East, Africa and North and South America for varying lengths of time before services were fully restored on Thursday.