PlayBook Apps Now Accepted to the BlackBerry App World

Canadian mobile phone maker Research In Motion has just announced that it started to accept submissions of BlackBerry PlayBook applications to its BlackBerry App World software portal.

Moreover, the company announced officially how developers can get a free BlackBerry PlayBook device, in case they have their application submitted and approved to the BlackBerry App World before the device is released on the market in North America.

Developers interested in the building of applications for the newly announced tablet PC from the handset vendor should download the BlackBerry Tablet OS SDK for Adobe AIR, currently available in a beta version, to get started.

The tool was recently updated with support for Flash Builder 4.5 (Burrito/Flex Mobile), which should result in the availability of drag and drop capabilities for the device, while also making it easier for application developers to build software solutions for the BlackBerry PlayBook.

“Interest and momentum behind the BlackBerry PlayBook continues to build and we are thrilled with the positive response from both the developer community and our customers,” Tyler Lessard, VP Global Alliances & Developer Relations at Research In Motion, stated.

“With its groundbreaking performance and robust support for industry standard development tools, the BlackBerry PlayBook provides an exceptional platform that appeals to a wide range of mobile app developers.”

RIM is calling all Adobe AIR and Flash developers to release software solutions for its device, as well as HTML web developers, or corporate application builders.

To expand the reach of its BlackBerry Tablet OS SDK for Adobe AIR to more developers, RIM made the solution compatible with more desktop OSes, including Windows 64-bit. Moreover, it added a simulator for Linux into the mix as well.

“We are very pleased to be working with developers in advance of the product launch and the opening of BlackBerry App World to accept BlackBerry PlayBook apps is an important next step,” Lessard continued.

As for the free BlackBerry PlayBook that RIM is set to offer to developers who submit an application for the tablet OS to the App World prior to the slate's release, the company notes that, regardless the number of apps added to the portal, only one device would be offered to a developer.

For additional information on the offer, including the Terms and Conditions, visit www.blackberry.com/developers/blackberryplaybookoffer.

The BlackBerry Tablet OS SDK for Adobe AIR can be downloaded from Softpedia too, for Windows, Mac and Linux.