Archive for the ‘Blackberry Developer’ Category

RIM expands app ecosystem, to provide more commercial opportunities to BlackBerry developers.

Mar 25, 2011 Blackberry Developer, Blackberry Development, News

BlackBerry app developers for the BlackBerry PlayBook will soon get additional tools and opportunities to expand their business. RIM has announced new plans to widen the app ecosystem for its upcoming Tablet.

RIM is planning to launch two optional “app players” that will provide an application run-time environment for Android v2.3 apps and BlackBerry Java apps. The app players will help PlayBook users to download Android apps and BlackBerry Java apps from BlackBerry App World.

“The BlackBerry PlayBook is an amazing tablet. The power that we have embedded creates one of the most compelling app experiences available in a mobile computing device today,” said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at Research In Motion.

“The upcoming addition of BlackBerry Java and Android apps for the BlackBerry PlayBook on BlackBerry App World will provide our users with an even greater choice of apps and will also showcase the versatility of the platform,” he added.

Higher degree of AP compatibility in the PlayBook OS will allow BlackBerry Developers to swiftly and effortlessly port their apps.  The app players can be downloaded from BlackBerry App World and will be placed in a secure “sandbox” on the device.

BlackBerry app developers interested in seeing the new app players can see demos at BlackBerry World in Orlando, Florida (May 3 to 5, 2011) (www.blackberryworld.com).

Additionally, RIM will soon release the native SDK for the BlackBerry PlayBook which will enable C/C++ application development on the Tablet OS. For game developers, RIM has gained support from two leading game development tooling companies which will allow developers to use the cross-platform game engines from Unity Technologies and Ideaworks Labs to bring their games to the PlayBook.

RIM also announced the BlackBerry Tablet OS NDK, which is at present in limited alpha release, will be converted into open Beta by this summer. The NDK will allow app developers to build high-performance, applications with industry standard GNU toolchains create advanced 2D and 3D applications with special effects by making use og programmable shaders available in the OpenGL ES 2.0.

Other features of the upcoming NDK includes:

  • QNX POSIX library support and C/C++ compliance for quick and easy application porting and for creating native extensions.
  • Easy integration of device events like gesture swipes and touch screen inputs.
  • Eclipse CDT (C/C++ Development Tools)
  • Debug and analysis tools

“The response to the BlackBerry PlayBook from the developer community has been exceptional. Our commitment to supporting HTML5 and Adobe AIR development has resonated and spurred developers to create fun and innovative applications for BlackBerry PlayBook users,” said David Yach, Chief Technology Officer, Software at Research In Motion.

“The upcoming BlackBerry Tablet OS NDK beta will add C/C++ tools to our repertoire and gives developers one of the broadest and deepest platforms to develop on,” he added.

Source- RIM press release

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RIM releases BBM Social Platform Beta for BlackBerry developers.

Mar 16, 2011 Blackberry Developer, Blackberry Development, News

Research In Motion (RIM) has released the BlackBerry® Messenger (BBM™) Social Platform- Beta for BlackBerry developers. The BBM Social Platform will allow BlackBerry platform developers to add social Super App features to their apps.

According to BlackBerry’s developer’s blog, the beta will aid developers to accomplish the following:

  • Access and update fields in the user’s profile such as status, avatar and personal message;
  • Create their own custom areas within the user’s profile for promoting recent application activity or storing trophies and achievements;
  • Initiate and embed chats with friends;
  • Initiate application-to-application background communication through BBM for sending and receiving application instructions, such as moves in a game or any other application state changes;
  • Initiate file transfers;
  • The ability to share applications virally with friends in their contact list.

The beta also includes special simulators for BlackBerry OS 5.0 and 6.0 that will allow for simulation of BBM communication between two instances of the simulator and help developers in testing the exact workflow and BBM integration on a live device.

While the recently released beta is for Java developers, RIM will release another beta in April 2011 which will provide full support for the BlackBerry WebWorks platform.

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RIM introduces analytics services beta for Blackberry app developers.

Mar 3, 2011 Blackberry Developer, Blackberry Development, News

Research In Motion (RIM) made a commitment at its BlackBerry DEVCON 2010, that will give Blackberry developers access to its BlackBerry Analytics Service. Delivering on that promise, RIM has announced that the free analytics services is now available for app developers in beta. The analytic services is powered by Webtrends.

Interested blackberry app developers can download the BlackBerry Analytics SDK and start integrating the service into their applications. The service consists of the SDK, documents and a reporting interface that allows developers to access and view the data for their apps. The service will provide key insights like application use, frequency, user loyalty, and features used etc., to blackberry OS developers on customer usage pattern and interaction level with the app which will ultimately help them better their apps and earn more revenue from it.

“Feedback from our customers and development partners has always shaped our BlackBerry products and services, and so we understand the need for deep, rich and accurate analytics. We also know that access to such metrics is a top priority for BlackBerry developers as they try to make their applications stand out in an increasingly crowded market,” said Curtis Sasaki, vice president of product management at RIM.

“BlackBerry developers will now have better access to complementary, enterprise-class mobile analytics technology and services,” said Alex Yoder, CEO of Webtrends. “Webtrends has a truly powerful and incredibly comprehensive platform for creating, measuring and improving content across all digital channels, and mobile is no exception. We are thrilled to deliver insight and value to the BlackBerry developer community” he added.

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RIM announces plans for an innovative gifting platform for carriers, BlackBerry developers.

Feb 17, 2011 Blackberry Developer, News

Research in Motion (RIM) announced that it will provide a new mobile gifting platform to carriers that will integrate BlackBerry App World and carrier billing systems to allow BlackBerry users to instantaneously gift apps, airtime and other services from one subscriber to another. The announcement was made at Mobile World Congress, Barcelona, Spain.

The gifting platform will allow gifting request and approval handling through the BlackBerry messenger. It will also allow carriers to easily sell its services to prepaid users.

“RIM is committed to aligning with carrier business models to deliver innovative and relevant mobile commerce solutions,” said Jim Balsillie, Co-CEO at RIM.

“There will be many usage scenarios and circumstances that can be accommodated through the BBM mobile gifting platform around the world, but the easiest for many people to readily envision and appreciate is the simplified act of a parent approving their child’s request for additional airtime minutes or an app purchase with a single click using BBM” he added.

The platform will also help BlackBerry developers as it would encourage gifting of apps between subscribers thereby boosting app downloads.

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RIM makes lead commitments of US$150 million in VC fund for Blackberry developers.

Feb 15, 2011 Blackberry Developer, News

Research In Motion (RIM) has announced that it will be making a lead commitment of to US$150 million in BlackBerry Partners Fund II, a new independent venture capital fund dedicated exclusively on mobile computing.  The fund is expected to be launched in June, 2011 and will have a wider global mandate than the first Fund.

In a press release issued by the company, Jim Balsillie, Co-CEO at Research In Motion said”We are very pleased with the positive impact of the first Fund on our mobile ecosystem and we look forward to BlackBerry Partners Fund II bringing additional resources and support to mobile innovators in a broader range of international markets”.

“We are very fortunate to have RIM as an anchor investor and partner in our Fund and greatly anticipate expanding our reach and the geographical scope of Fund II,” said John Albright, Co-Managing Partner of BlackBerry Partners Fund.

BlackBerry Partners Fund was first launched in 2008 with collaboration from Research In Motion, Thomson Reuters, Royal Bank of Canada and many other high profile investors. The Fund has since made 13 investments in mobile start-ups across the world. Companies working in the mobile ecosystem including Blackberry developers can benefit from this fund.

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BlackBerry developers get new market in Nigeria.

Feb 9, 2011 Blackberry Developer, Blackberry Development, News

Research In Motion (RIM) has announced that the Blackberry App World, official application store for BlackBerry phones, that was initially closed to users in Nigeria has now been launched. BlackBerry owners in Nigeria can now download apps on their phones with any internationally recognized smartcard.

Most of mobile applications stores are usually closed for mobile users in Africa as these regions are not considered as major markets. However, with tough competition in major markets and growing popularity of smartphones in African countries has led to shift in strategies of app stores. The launch of Blackberry App World in Nigeria therefore is an important major milestone in the process of providing better access to mobile content for users in these regions.

Speaking at the Mobile Web West Africa conference in Lagos, Deon Liebenberg, RIM Managing Director for Africa said: “We are very pleased to offer this experience to our customers in Nigeria, which we see as a very exciting market going forward.”

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RIM to hold BlackBerry Developer Day at MWC, 2011.

Feb 7, 2011 Blackberry Developer, Blackberry Development, News

Research in Motion (RIM) will be holding a BlackBerry Developer Day at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2011 in Barcelona, Spain.This 1-day event will be held on Tuesday, February 15th, as a part of the MWC App Planet Application Developer Conferences.

The event is held to update BlackBerry application developers on the latest information on the BlackBerry development platform,specifically on monetizing apps on BlackBerry App World and integrate it with the BBM Social Platform. RIM will also be hosting many hands-on-labs for BlackBerry app developers covering BlackBerry WebWorks and Adobe AIR development on the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet.

There is also a special event named AppCircus Spotlight which will provide BlackBerry developers with a unique opportunity to showcase their apps and win a BlackBerry PlayBook tablet!

Developers can get all the required information about the event on their desktop or directly on their smartphone.

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Now, RIM gears up to lure Blackberry application developers.

Feb 3, 2011 Blackberry Developer, Blackberry Development, News

It seems after the mobile operating system race, the next battle ground for smartphone players is going to be the app market. With studies predicting massive upsurge in the market in future, all key players have embarked on getting the attention of developers by offering them attractive revenue models. One of the major players in the smartphone market, Research in Motion too has started making efforts to lure mobile application developers into developing apps for Blackberry. Recently, RIM announced an app store update Blackberry App World 2.1 that will provide an in-app revenue source for the app makers.

The Blackberry Payment Service allows app developers new ways to monetize their apps by leveraging a variety of business models through the sale of goods within their apps. The Payment Service SDK v1.0 can be easily integrated into an app as a library. This will allow Blackberry app developers decide the point of purchase experience for the user. The app must be distributed through the BlackBerry App World storefront for it to be enabled with this service. The payment service will work on the same revenue-model available with the RIM’s app world.

Recent studies have shown that in-app purchases are going to be the key revenue source for developers. Customers would be able to download the apps for free but have to pay to access more features within the application.

The app market is getting fiercely competitive and all major players are battling hard to grab developer’s attention. The latest move by Blackberry and earlier adopted by Apple and Google reveals that all major players are seeing in-app sales as an important revenue source in the future.

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Blackberry DevCon coming to Asia soon….!

Dec 9, 2010 Blackberry Developer, News

A very exciting news for Blackberry app developers .  BlackBerry DEVCON is coming to Asia!

That’s right, from January 13th to 14th in 2011, BlackBerry DEVCON will be making its first ever appearance outside of the US. And there couldn’t be a better location to host the event than beautiful Bali. With 40 sessions planned over two days, it’s sure to be a fast-paced couple of days with lots of opportunity to learn about developing on the BlackBerry platform, collaborate with fellow BlackBerry dev community members, and meet with subject matter experts.

With some of the year’s biggest announcements coming out of BlackBerry DEVCON 2010, BlackBerry DEVCON Asia 2011 has sessions that follow up on each of these announcements and explores them in great detail. There are sessions for BlackBerry PlayBook™, BlackBerry Messenger (BBM™), Analytics Service, Advertising Service, Payment Service, BEAM, and WebWorks, as well as sessions that explore the fundamentals of both the Java® and Web platforms. Attend BlackBerry DEVCON Asia and get the details on all of the latest and greatest products, straight from Research In Motion® (RIM) product and Blackberry development experts!

You’ll also be among the first to see the APIs for the BBM Social platform in action, and get hands-on experience with the BBM SDK. Plus, get the scoop on the Super Apps story and discover how taking advantage of the unique capabilities of the BlackBerry platform can take your application to the next level, above and beyond your competitors. Visit the Ask the Experts area to talk with RIM insiders, where you can find out tips and tricks, take away code samples, and learn how to add features to applications – such as integration with native BlackBerry applications and content push, giving them more depth and richness so they can stand out in an increasingly crowded application space.

But building your application is only the beginning, and learning about new ways to commercialize your application is just as important. Discover how to best take advantage of BlackBerry App World™, carrier billing, pricing tiers and third-party sites to help successfully bring your app to market. We’ll also talk about how the in-app payment and advertising services can help make your applications successful on the BlackBerry platform, and tips and tricks on integrating these services into applications using the frameworks and relationships provided by RIM to offer users the best experience possible.

The conference wouldn’t be complete without giving blackberry developers a look into what the future holds for the BlackBerry platform, and what these new changes and opportunities mean for the mobile space and you as a blackberry app developer.

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User interface guidelines for Blackberry Playbook

Dec 2, 2010 Blackberry Developer, Blackberry Development, News

The response to our BlackBerry PlayBook™ tablet webcast series has been incredible. Our past three webcasts have attracted over 5,000 registrations in total and the questions have been pouring in. One of the most frequent questions is about user interface guidelines, and this next webcast will cover that frequent question. In this webcast, you’ll learn how to design your user interface so it’s consistent with other BlackBerry PlayBook tablet applications.

Register today for our upcoming webcast “User Interface Guidelines for the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet”! We’ll have both Research In Motion (RIM) and Adobe experts on hand to take you through the process and answer your questions during our Q&A period.

Date: Thursday, December 2, 2010
Time: 2:00 PM EST / 11:00 AM PST

Presenters:
Prosanta Bhattacherjee,
Application Development Consultant, Research In Motion Limited

Renaun Erickson,
Adobe Developer Evangelist, Adobe Systems Incorporated

This is the fourth webcast in a five-week series to help you create compelling applications for the new platform. Every week we’ll cover new things and progress to more advanced topics as we move forward.

Please remember that every registered vendor with a BlackBerry App World™-approved AIR application that is available for the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet prior to launch is eligible for a free BlackBerry PlayBook tablet subject to certain restrictions that will be outlined in the full Terms and Conditions which will be available when the program launches. We want to help our developer community participate in this amazing opportunity and are hosting this webcast series to help everyone get started, or, for those who have already begun to develop for the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, to discover the benefits of the new SDK.

Register now!

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