PDAStreet: News: RIM Eyes Certicom in Second Bid

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PDAStreet.com > News > RIM Eyes Certicom in Second Bid

RIM Eyes Certicom in Second Bid

By Brian T. Horowitz
February 5, 2009

BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM) has put forward a second offer to purchase encryption-technology company Certicom.

RIM would like to have Certicom's encryption technology to boost the security of its BlackBerry handhelds.

Internet security firm VeriSign has also bid for Certicom, though RIM's offer of $3 a share in cash is 43 percent higher.

Certicom says its board of directors will inform the company's shareholders of its position on the RIM offer by Feb. 5.

RIM first bid to take over Certicom back in December. It was rebuffed, however.

The latest offer is for considerably more cash than the $1.50 per share RIM originally proffered for Certicom, however.

The mobile e-mail leader uses Certicom's Elliptic Curve Cryptography technology, which is licensed by a number of other companies as well. These include IBM, General Dynamics, Motorola and Oracle.