From what the numbers show, RIM’s buy-one-get-one-free Blackberry promotion was a first quarter smash, sending consumer sales figures skyrocketing past the competition – namely, the iPhone. (Techmeme)

Now what?

Don’t get me wrong. This is a good thing for RIM – and Verizon. Market research firm NPD Group says RIM’s market share jumped 15 percent from the previous quarter up to nearly 50 percent. (Apple and Palm each lost 10 percent share for the quarter). Those new Blackberry owners are now locked into the pricier data plan for a couple of years. With cancellation fees and all, they’re less likely to bail out for the shiny new iPhone or Palm Pre, which is expected to launch soon. And don’t forget that lineup of Motorola Android phones expected out for the holiday season.

RIM has long been a leader in smartphones – they were the first and, in the enterprise, they’ve been mainstream for a long time. Bottom line: they had a headstart in this smartphone game. With the competition about to heat up again and the enterprise market still singing the the economy blues, RIM had to turn to the consumer to gain some ground.

It was probably a good time for them to…