BlackBerry maker's sales double

Sales at BlackBerry manufacturer Research In Motion (RIM) grew 102 per cent to $1.88bn (£948m) in the fourth quarter of 2008, up from $930.4m (£469m) in the same period of last year.

Quarterly profit jumped to $412.5m (£208m), up 11 per cent from $370.5m (£187m) the last three months of the previous year. Annual revenue rose 98 per cent to $6.01bn (£3bn), while annual profit leapt 105 per cent to $1.29bn (£651m).

The strong results followed impressive growth in the number of BlackBerry subscribers - RIM added 2.18 million users in the fourth quarter, with the overall customer base now surpassing 14 million.

"Heightened retail activities helped drive exceptional subscriber growth during the fourth quarter with net subscriber account additions growing more than 32 per cent over the previous quarter and well over two million net subscriber accounts added in a single quarter for the first time," said Jim Balsillie, co-chief executive at RIM.

"Looking forward, the prospects for RIM and the industry are more exciting than ever and we will continue to work closely with a thriving ecosystem of partners to build on our momentum during the year ahead."