With each passing day leading up to RIM's BlackBerry 10 media event on Jan. 30, the smartphone maker is seeing some positive signs for its future. That's something RIM hasn't had the luxury of enjoying for a while. The more carriers that announce support to sell BlackBerry 10 devices not only shows that the carriers are regaining their confidence in RIM, hut also it means BlackBerry 10-powered smartphones will be seen on the shelves alongside the likes of the iPhone 5, Galaxy S3, and other popular Android smartphones. This type of approval from carriers is exactly what the doctor ordered for RIM.

Three out of the four major U.S. carriers AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile had recently announced that they would be offering BlackBerry 10 smartphones and sell them when they become available. Many were wondering why the fourth major carrier in the U.S. - Sprint - was not making the same kind of announcement. Did Sprint feel that BlackBerry 10 and its smartphones just weren't good enough to be offered on "The Now Network"?

No, it's nothing like that. Sprint customers who love their BlackBerry can heave a huge sigh of relief as Sprint has just announced that they will indeed be offering BlackBerry 10 devices to Sprint customers this year. I guess Sprint wanted to be fashionably late in announcing its support, but as the saying goes, better late than never.

This announcement certainly helps RIM in many ways. It shows the world that RIM just got all four major carriers in the U.S. to commit to selling BlackBerry 10 devices. That's a huge deal. It also sends a message to consumers that if BlackBerry 10 and its smartphones weren't seen as viable alternatives to hugely popular devices like Apple's iPhone 5, Samsung's Galaxy S3, Samsung's Galaxy Note 2, etc., the carriers would not commit to offering a sub-standard device. It would be great for RIM to see some success as it is bringing some very cool and unique features to BlackBerry 10. When one company innovates in such a way, it sends shockwaves to other companies to innovate as well, and consumers are the ones who truly benefit from this type of competition.