BlackBerry 10 devices have entered carrier certification labs around the world as Research In Motion surges ahead with its new smartphone operating system.
The lab entry allows cellular carriers to begin evaluating the phones for use on their networks and is a key step toward them going on sale.
"I'm very pleased to confirm that we have passed a critical milestone in the development of our brand-new mobile computing platform, BlackBerry 10," said Thorsten Heins, president and CEO of RIM. "This process will continue in the coming months as more carriers around the world formally evaluate the devices and our brand-new software."
the company didn't disclose the carriers or the countries involved. Heins said he had spent several weeks visiting partners around the world to demonstrate the operating system.

"Their response has been tremendous. They are excited about the prospect of launching BlackBerry 10 in their markets," he said.