Last November, Blackberry announced a partnership with Optiemus Infracom Ltd to make our devices available in India. Now the two companies have entered into a long-term licensing agreement - the first since Blackberry's partnership with TCL Communications.

Blackberry is licensing its device software and brand assets to Optiemus, who will, in turn, design, manufacture, sell, promote, and support BlackBerry-branded devices throughout India and neighboring markets, including Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bangladesh.

Optiemus sold India's first mobile phone in 1995, and has been bringing the latest technology to Indian consumers ever since.

With this deal, Blackberry has licensees ready to manufacture and deliver BlackBerry-branded devices in every market around the world, thus completing the company's transition to a security software and services company.

India is not only the fastest-growing smartphone market in the world, it's already surpassed the U.S. to become the second-largest market (behind only China).