RIM to cut 2,000 jobs

Research in motion has confirmed it will eliminate about 2-thousand jobs this year.

It’s the largest job cut in the company’s history.

The job cuts come just as Canada’s largest technology company is focusing its efforts on launching seven new Blackberry smartphones later this year.

But shares prices continue to fall.

Critics say it’s because there have been delays with new products and the launch of the Playbook Tablet was disappointing.

The Blackberry maker is having a difficult time completing with Apple iphone and smartphones using Google’s android operating system.

Shares were selling for around $25 right now.

At it’s highest, RIM shares peaked at more than $140.

RIM says this step is necessary for long term success after a period of rapid growth for the Waterloo based company.

It saw the workforce nearly quadruple in the last five years.

Recently there’s also been criticism of the shared roles of CEO and Chairman by Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie.

There was another change to the company’s structure as RIM announced Monday that the chief operating officer Don Morrison is retiring after taking a temporary medical leave last month.

Employees will begin to receive their notices later this week.