Research In Motion Ltd. expects its latest BlackBerry device to play a "substantial" role in the market, the company chief executive says in an interview with German newspaper Die Welt posted online Sunday.

"We're a relatively young industry," RIM Chief Executive Thorsten Heins tells the newspaper, saying there is still a lot of room in the strongly growing smartphone market.

"At some point it will be shown how many [operating] systems the market can bear. I expect that with the BlackBerry 10 we won't just play a role, I believe our role will be substantial," Mr. Heins is quoted as saying.

He said the company continues to explore its strategic options, "even now the pressure is lower due to our high level of available cash," and he adds that "we don't want to limit our options."

There are several opportunities available, including selling hardware production as well as licensing software, Mr. Heins tells the newspaper.

"But there is no reason for us to make a hasty decision, the first priority is to bring BlackBerry 10 successfully to market, then we'll see," Mr. Heins is quoted as saying.

The chief executive, whose company has been struggling to regain traction in the enterprise market it once dominated, tells Die Welt the company is free of debt and has $2.9 billion available.

Newspaper website: http://www.welt.de/wirtschaft/article112914284/Das-Blackberry-wird-eine-substanzi lle-Rolle-spielen.html

-Write to Harriet Torry at harriet.torry@dowjones.com

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