According to Arstechnica and Reuters:

Amid renewed rumors of an impending buyout by Microsoft, stock in Research In Motion (RIM), the company that produces the BlackBerry line of push e-mail devices, has surged up to an all-time high of $85. According to a story from Reuters, the two companies may be engaged in discussions that could see Microsoft grabbing up the Canadian-based company outright…

Some analysts are saying that the move is in response to Google’s announcement that it is developing a mobile phone running a Linux-based operating system. Others point to the success of the iPhone (and the interest, if not yet the actual software, in integrating it into business environments). These two players may make the smartphone industry much more competitive.