Research In Motion President and Co-CEO Mike Lazaridis to Give GLOBALCOMM 2006 Opening Keynote Address

ARLINGTON, Va.--(CCNMatthews - Apr 18, 2006) -

The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) announced that Mike Lazaridis, the president and co-CEO of Research In Motion (RIM), will provide the opening keynote address at GLOBALCOMM^TM in Chicago on June 5 at 8:30 a.m.

GLOBALCOMM^TM, the next-generation communications marketplace and summit, will be held June 4-8, 2006, at Chicago's McCormick Place. For TIA, GLOBALCOMM^TM replaces SUPERCOMM^® as TIA's annual industry event.

"Mike Lazaridis has been a major force behind the wave of mobile innovation that has produced global efficiencies for companies and dramatically enhanced connectivity for consumers and business professionals," TIA President Matt Flanigan said. "One of the major themes of GLOBALCOMM is 'global communications driving global commerce 365 days a year', and RIM's BlackBerry platform is a leading example of the 600 plus TIA member companies making that theme a reality. We're excited to have him kick-off our event as GLOBALCOMM's opening keynoter."

GLOBALCOMM 2006 will feature more than 450 exhibiting companies, 20,000 projected attendees, free keynote addresses and panels, paid conferences by the International Engineering Consortium, Light Reading/CMP Media, Telephony and other organizations, and co-location with OSP EXPO, the Outside Plant Exposition and Conference. GLOBALCOMM^TM represents the premier business opportunity for the entire global communications and IT industry.

About TIA

TIA is the leading trade association for the information and communications technology (ICT) industry. As owner and producer of GLOBALCOMM^TM, TIA represents global ICT suppliers and their service provider and enterprise customers through its leadership in standards development, domestic and international policy advocacy, and facilitating member business opportunities. TIA represents the communications sector of the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA). Visit us at http://www.tiaonline.org.

About GLOBALCOMM^TM

GLOBALCOMM^TM represents the premier business opportunity for the entire global communications and IT industry. With more than 450 exhibitors and 20,000 participants expected from 100 countries, GLOBALCOMM^TM -- the Next-Generation Communications Marketplace and Summit - debuts June 4-8, 2006, at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois, USA. GLOBALCOMM^TM is a trademark of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA). Visit http://www.globalcomm2006.com for more information.

SUPERCOMM^® is a registered trademark of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and the United States Telecom Association (USTA). The final SUPERCOMM^® was held in June 2005.