Reports suggest that we may soon be seeing Microsoft’s new Windows Phone 8 operating system running on BlackBerry smartphones.

No matter which way you look at it, RIM is in trouble. Having announced that its “renaissance” BlackBerry 10 OS now won’t be with us until 2013 and with the manufacturer’s dramatic decline being made public, many are predicting it’s curtains for the iconic handset maker. 

Yet could Microsoft prove to be RIM’s knight in shining armour? According to Reuters, Microsoft’s CEO, Steve Ballmer has already approached RIM about the possibility of the new Windows Phone 8 OS running on BlackBerry devices.

RIM is understandably reluctant as it would mean ditching its own BlackBerry 10 operating system and ultimately being at the mercy of Microsoft. Yet it might not have a choice. 

The partnership would be similar to that of Microsoft and Nokia’s, which has seen both companies team up for the Nokia Lumia series. Securing BlackBerry handsets as another outlet for Windows Phone 8 would be a major coup for Windows Phone 8 as Microsoft takes on both Apple and Android.

The thought of a BlackBerry device with a Windows Phone OS may be difficult to comprehend for both RIM and the consumer, but ultimately the Canadian manufacturer may not have many other options.

Do you think RIM should partner with Microsoft? Let us know in the comments below.