Research In Motion is an interesting but unenviable position these days. The leader in the U.S. smartphone market has become more or less an afterthought in discussions about the future of mobile -- despite its long-term success and the BlackBerry's continued status as the enterprise device of choice.

Much of that, of course, has to do with who RIM is up against. Apple and Google are (usually) media darlings, they have momentum on their side, and it's undeniable that they know a thing or two about consumers -- a group that the BlackBerry has struggled to understand.

Analysts and industry players have begun circling Research In Motion like vultures lately, but the BlackBerry maker's co-CEOs don't seem particularly concerned with the negative attention.

BMO Capital Markets this morning became the latest firm to lower its rating on RIM's stock, with analyst Tim Long saying that the company is too reliant on Verizon Wireless, which accounts for some 30 percent of RIM revenue, and that the Storm 2 doesn't match up to its touchscreen competitors. And while BlackBerry remains the king of the U.S. smartphone, it's facing a daunting threat from Apple's iPhone and a seemingly endless deluge of Google Android phones.