RIM CEO cleans house as BlackBerry maker posts loss

By Alastair Sharp

TORONTO (Reuters) - Research In Motion on Thursday reported a quarterly loss as BlackBerry shipments slumped again and said former co-CEO Jim Balsillie stepped down as director, part of a shake-up of the company's senior ranks by its new chief executive.

RIM's shares dropped as much as 9 percent after the company said it would no longer issue financial forecasts and is reviewing "strategic opportunities" such as partnerships and joint ventures licensing, and other ways to leverage its assets.

Chief Executive Thorsten Heins, who took from Balsillie and co-CEO Mike Lazaridis in January, would not rule out a sale of the company, though he said the company was still focusing on a turnaround.

"I did my own reality check on where the entire company really is. Having had the benefit of going through this process from the vantage point of CEO, it is now very clear to me that substantial change is what RIM needs," he said in a conference call with analysts.

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For RIM graphic: link.reuters.com/keb47s

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The Waterloo, Ontario-based company shipped 11.1 million BlackBerry smartphones in the fourth quarter ended March 3, down 21 percent from the third quarter, but slightly ahead of analysts' expectations.