RIM developers will be aware of the problems with the company’s code signing-in servers that made development next to impossible for several days last week.

The company has now apologised for the downtime and assured developers that the problem has now been resolved.

Blogging on Friday last week, RIM developer relations chief Tyler Lessard said that the problem had been caused by abnormal diagnostic activity disrupting the signing process. The issue has been resolved, he said, and service levels were back up to expected levels.

“We realize this can be a disruption to your business and we take issues like this very seriously,” he said. “The issues that we experienced have now been resolved and I’d like to apologize to the community for this situation.”

The company kept developers abreast of the situation through the Blackberry Developer Forums as the issue was being resolved, though some of the replies demonstrated how hacked off some RIM developers felt about the problem.

“The signing servers send tens of emails every time an application is signed, but RIM can’t send a single email to us developers to let us know what’s going on when they’re down,” wrote one disgruntled user. “Sort it out RIM, you have enough problems already without antagonising your loyal developers.” 

The company has found itself in the firing line recently from a number of directions within and without. Less than glowing reviews of its big tablet release, the Playbook, have compounded a mediocre 2011 performance, comprising launch delays, lob losses and fierce competition from the likes of Apple.