As the rumor mill begins churning, however, it's important to note that this isn't the first time Microsoft has been said to be interested in pursuing BlackBerry. Several years ago, Redmond seriously considered acquiring BlackBerry, which was then called RIM, to prop up the company's mobile business, according to a former high-level source intimately involved in Microsoft's acquisition strategy. While this isn't surprising-it's been widely reported before-the thinking behind the acquisition exploration is telling, especially insofar as why Microsoft decided not to purchase BlackBerry. "We had board-level conversations about whether to make bids, and RIM certainly was an interesting conversation given its enterprise focus," explains the source, who worked closely with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. "There were deep conversations about whether Microsoft should do that. Ultimately, we had enough concern about [RIM's] viability that we decided not to pursue it."
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