In another blow to troubled Canadian smartphone maker Research in Motion RIM-T, energy drilling giant Halliburton Co. says it will replace its company-issued BlackBerrys with competitor Apple's iPhone.
Halliburton says its making the move after deciding that Apple's technology works better with the programs it uses in the field.
A spokeswoman for the Houston, Texas-based firm says the plan will roll out over the next two years as it phases out 4,500 BlackBerrys from its operations.
BlackBerry developer Research In Motion has been struggling to keep a solid presence in the consumer market against Apple's products and other phones that use the Google Android operating system.
However, an increasing amount of attention has turned to anecdotal accounts that RIM's longtime corporate clients are starting to explore a shift to other technology, such as the iPhone.
The Waterloo, Ont.-based company's stock was ahead more than one per cent, or 19 cents, to $16.72 on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
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