Though RIM continues to do well in many overseas markets, the company faced numerous delays modernizing its operating system in an effort to compete with the iPhone and smartphones running Google's Android operating system.
Heins said that RIM is "definitely in the race" and that he is excited about its outlook. "The most successful year for BlackBerry is well under way," he said.
Grammy Award-winning singer Alicia Keys, who was named BlackBerry's global creative director in January, announced the company's new BlackBerry Scholars Program. The new initiative will begin this year and provide scholarships in science-based studies for students around the globe.
"I was inspired. I wanted to take this journey with BlackBerry," Keys said. The scholarship program hopes to attract women, who Keys said make up more than half of mobile users. "It's the beginning for a powerful network of women and a profound change in our culture," she said.
