JOB CUTS: BlackBerry maker Research In Motion has started laying off employees as part of its restructuring plan aimed at saving about $1 billion this year. RIM declined to provide numbers on job cuts.

THE CHALLENGE: The once-iconic BlackBerry company is facing the most difficult period in its history. RIM is preparing to launch a new operating system — Blackberry 10 — later this year, just as North Americans are abandoning BlackBerrys for iPhones and Android phones.