Research In Motion Limited (RIM) today provided an update on changes in responsibilities amongst the company's senior management team, as well as additional details about a cost optimization program.

The changes are intended to create greater alignment of the organization and to streamline RIM's operations in order to better position the company for future growth and profitability.

The company announced a number of management changes as well as a workforce reduction, which is believed to be "a prudent and necessary step for the long term success of the company and it follows an extended period of rapid growth within the company whereby the workforce had nearly quadrupled in the last five years alone."

As part of this effort, RIM is reducing its global workforce across all functions by approximately 2,000 employees. RIM intends to notify impacted employees in North America and certain other countries this week. The remainder of the global workforce reductions will occur at a later date subject to local laws and regulations. All impacted employees will receive severance packages and outplacement support, RIM said.

Following the completion of the workforce reduction, RIM's global workforce is expected to be approximately 17,000 people.