Amazon might have considered buying RIM

BOOKSELLER Amazon thought about buying beleaguered mobile communications software and hardware business Research in Motion (RIM), but cooled to the idea.

According to an exclusive report at Reuters with unnamed sources, things got pretty hot and heavy between the firms for a while, but cooled off when RIM thought it would be better off staying single and Amazon never made it an offer.

The Reuters source said that Amazon hired an investment bank to help it assess the deal, but never made an offer. It does not say why, nor whether any price was discussed.

Reportedly Amazon was not the only firm courting RIM, and the report says that a few other businesses were sniffing around and making eyes at it.

Two other sources told the news service that RIM wants to try to make a go of things itself, and while it might try to sign licensing agreements and partnerships, it won't be offering itself up for sale just yet.

Amazon has entered into the same markets as RIM recently, and its Kindle Fire tablet represents something of a challenge to the RIM Playbook. µ