14 DAY TRIAL // Research In Motion announced it is going to release a new development tool that will enable software developers to create applications for BlackBerry devices within the .NET programming environment. Available as a plug-in for Microsoft Visual Studio, the development tool will leverage the BlackBerry Mobile Data System to simplify wireless application development, deployment and management for enterprises.
BlackBerry Mobile Data System is an optimized application development framework containing everything needed for building and deploying applications for the BlackBerry Enterprise Solution. It uses the same BlackBerry push delivery model and advanced security features used for BlackBerry email to deliver information wirelessly.
The plug-in integrates within the familiar Visual Studio environment, and allows developers to visually design, implement and debug applications for BlackBerry smartphones. With it, developers will be able to create rich client applications with a flexible user interface, offline data storage, asynchronous push, and secure data access; that can interoperate with .NET-based systems via Web Services. The applications developed will leverage the same security architecture of BlackBerry Enterprise Server.
"RIM continues to provide a flexible and open development platform with robust tools, technical assistance and support of industry standards," said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at Research In Motion. "This new developer tool meets the needs of the .NET developer community as well as enterprise customers by enabling the development of BlackBerry applications within the familiar framework of Visual Studio. It leverages existing skill sets as well as existing investments in the BlackBerry platform."
The BlackBerry Plug-in for Microsoft Visual Studio will be previewed at the Wireless Enterprise Symposium 2007 in Orlando, Florida this week, and is expected to be available later this year as a free download.