Blackberry maker dropped from Nasdaq 100

AP PHOTO/RICHARD DREW

WASHINGTON – Canadian company Research in Motion, the makers of BlackBerry telephones, will no longer be part of the Nasdaq 100 index, the market operator said Saturday on its web site.

The index – which includes the 100 largest non-financial companies listed on the electronic exchange – said Research in Motion (RIM) was one of ten companies to be removed from the index in its annual revision process.

RIM has seen its star fade over the past several years as it faced stiff competition from the advent of smart phones like the iPhone and others running the Android platform.

Facing difficulties, the company is pinning its hopes on the BlackBerry 10, to be unveiled January 30 – a new generation of phones and operating system.

Among the companies joining the Nasdaq 100 on Monday are, notably, semi-conductor maker Analog Devices and Internet infrastructure company VeriSign.