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RIM's future hangs on developer support for "new BlackBerry"

26.04.2012
With its future up for grabs, Research in Motion at its annual BlackBerry World conference next week will focus on simplifying development for its soon-to-be-unveiled BlackBerry 10 operating system. HTML5 is one key technology in that strategy to create a viable ecosystem of for a new generation of mobile devices expected to ship by year-end.

The simplicity is needed because BB10, based on a real time kernel acquired with RIM's buyout of QNX Software Systems in 2010, is a complete break with the software that runs on standard BlackBerry . Sales of those devices have been collapsing since the third quarter of 2010, and continue to do so, as RIM's recent show. RIM sold just over 11 million smartphones, down 21% from the previous quarter, and 500,000 PlayBook tablets; quarterly revenue was $4.2 billion, or 19% less than the third quarter and 25% less than a year ago.

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and RIM's larger development strategy will come into sharp focus at BlackBerry World in Orlando. This year, it includes the heavily promoted BlackBerry 10 Jam, an intensive, developer-focused agenda for the new operating system, which has not yet been released in final form.

"It's a bit of a challenge," says Tyler Lessard, formerly a RIM vice president in charge of the global developer program, and since October 2011 chief marketing officer at mobile vendor . "There's very little or no compatibility between the old and new operating systems. Existing apps can't be carried forward to QNX and BB 10. The question is, once the BlackBerry 10 smartphones launch, can RIM have an adequate catalog of apps?"