14 DAY TRIAL // RIM has announced that it is adding some Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) to the Blackberry Java Development Environment in order to enable the next wave in mobile application development.
Since its customer base is constantly growing, with over 8 million subscribers and 100,000 Blackberry Server installations so far, as well as broad availability on over 225 networks in more than 100 countries worldwide, Blackberry has become a more attractive platform for developers, and this is why RIM has decided to open the platform even further.
"Push-email paved the way for the early success of this market, but mobile applications will drive the next phase," said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at Research In Motion. "The BlackBerry JDE has already enabled the development of hundreds of horizontal and vertical business applications and thousands of lifestyle applications on BlackBerry smartphones. We are now opening the BlackBerry platform further with the release of additional APIs that can help fuel the next wave of mobile applications in areas such as Social Networking, Multi-Media, eCommerce, News and Information Services, and Location-Based Services."
More than 125,000 registered developers have downloaded the Blackberry JDE that exposes thousands of Java APIs that can be utilized for creating powerful and innovative applications on the platform. With access to almost every functional component and application on a Blackberry handheld, developers will now be able to build wireless applications that leverage the inherent capabilities of the platform, like secure access to the Internet, rich multimedia features, access to various content, mapping services or device personalization. Around 500 software companies have so far announced joining the Blackberry ISV Alliance program that offers hundreds of business solutions and lifestyle applications.