“Research In Motion is set to roll out new software that will let users turn smartphones running on Windows Mobile platform into virtual BlackBerries,” Reuters reports.
Reuters reports, “RIM plans to offer the software for a number of devices running Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 6.0. Once installed, it will provide users with access to BlackBerry applications like its e-mail, phone, calendar, address book, instant messages and other functions. The Waterloo, Ontario-based company will make the software available on devices offered by a number of telecom companies later this year, likely in the fall.”
“The software will appear as an icon on the screen of a smartphone and will have the same interface as a BlackBerry. Users will be able to toggle between the Windows Mobile and BlackBerry interfaces, the company said,” Reuters reports.
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Investor” for the heads up.]
We’d call it a pre-emptive strike against Apple’s iPhone, but by fall it’ll be too late for that; “post-empty strike,” perhaps?
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Underwhelming, quite!
Actual competition – Oooo its so exciting.
There are at least three people out there excited about this.
The software will appear as an icon on the screen of a smartphone and will have the same interface as a BlackBerry
—
Minus the… interface wheel, right? Typical mediocre standards.
Research in Standstill?
My company recently mandated we would be going from crappie Blackberry whatevers, to the new and improved crap from RIM…
Indeed, the results are in:
– Smaller buttons = harder to use
– Smaller screen
– Battery life no better than previous model
– Cheap plastic case and backing
– Lastly, worse reception! This is a phone right?!
So the choice is crap from RIM, or trash from Redmond… with the ability to take a Redmond-designed SW phone and turn it into a RIM?
And this is a good idea because?… Oh, that’s right, this is good for RIM, not you the user…
Wait! This means that RIM could also write a “virtual” app for the iPhone, which would vastly accelerate iPhone acceptance for business (assuming Apple would let them in.)
Say what you want about the Blackberry interface et.al…the “push” service integrated with an exchange server is a killer app for business and the secret of RIMs success to date.
Actually, the real win would be to have an iPhone version of the Blackberry application suite. There are 8 million blackberry users out there, many of them (like me) are forced to use them for work. If Apple partnered with RIM, there would be nothing holding back iPhone adoption by large enterprises. Like it or not, RIM is as much a corporate standard as Windows in many companies. Apple wants to sell iPhones, if it gets them several million more sales, why would they care if a suite of RIM applications runs on their hardware? It gets OSX into the hands of folks who are likely windows users and nets them many more millions in sales.
and yeah, I agree with Mac User since 1984:)
absolutely – we need blackberry on iPhone – it is silly of MDB to just hate every apple competetion.
Appple needs business consumers – i would love if my corporate emails work on iPhone – i would buy one ina heartbeat – now i may be forced to carry a blackberry and an iPhone.
don’t lose the corporate business like we did with MS Office especially MW Excel.
Mac User, BG, Also… YOU’RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT… This is good news for iPhone users b/c if RIM is licensing its software/technology, that means its possible that these apps will be available on the iPhone, which would be awesome … making the iPhone the ultimate PDA/MP3Player/Phone/internet/email device…
We should start one of those write in campaigns to get Apple & RIM to coperate w/each other.
MDN u guys need to come out of the Apple closet and visit the real world some times … seems like your miss the big picture from time to time.
Let’s see, you don’t dual boot the phone into Blackberry mode so that means Blackberry is running under virtualization in a stripped down cludged inferior OS. Eeewwwhhh!!!
I think I’ll wait until June when I can get a phone with a optimized superior OS where I don’t have to run anything virtually. Thanks you very much Apple!
This is bad for Appel. This is going keep the iphone out of the most important class of phone users- the business class. With out this market, the iphone is doomed! Face it, the iphone is already week in the business market–cna’t even read word documents!
Research in Motion Sickness
Blackberry software? all those applications are already in the Windows CE 6, Why does any body wants to emulate a software inside a OS that already has a native application? Besides that, blackberry is a waste of hardware beacuse all it is use is for corporate email. A bad software running inside a bad OS, this is incredible.
Blackberries, crackberries, Windoze.
What about the iPhone?
I always thought it was the consumer market that was more important to Apple.
Oh, wait- that’s because IT IS!
I wonder who Apple is more concerned about providing a good experience…
Of all the corporates that come into my office everyday, many use blackberry. Almost all of them carry a blackberry and a phone. Evidently they don’t like blackberry as a phone.
“Almost all of them carry a blackberry and a phone.”
That’s why I keep a spare car in my trunk and take a sack lunch to business meals.
I’m not going to go saying “The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend”, but that should be enough to get people thinking. This move will hurt MS – NOT a Mac-user’s friend – a lot more than it will hurt Apple. It’s a retro-fit to Windows-based phones, not something to add to a new purchase. Not yet, at least.
Yes, it would be nice if Apple allowed them to put a seriously Mac-themed version on the iPhone – as an option. I don’t see the not-invented-here folk at Apple letting that happen.
DLMeyer – the Voice of G.L.Horton’s Stage Page Pod Cast
Let Apple take over the consumer market and, from there, start to trickle into business. That’s what it’s doing with Macs.
This is why Apple had to fast-track the iPhone over Leopard – a quickly closing window in which to gain a foothold.
Embrace and extinguish, indeed. Toché.
Mafia$oft will have a new definition of RIM job real soon!
There’s one thing I really do not like about this..
I think Apple should ultimately try to replace Exchange with its own hardware and software. Impossible you say?
Maybe..
But I hardly think so. Surely it won’t happen over night, but if they have enough success with the iPhone they could use it to leverage their way into an “iPhone compatible” email and calandaring service which they could create and provide.
If they go with the RIM Blackberry solution now, they are giving up any hope of doing this in the future.
Exchange is closed source proprietary crap tied into Microsoft and Windows server software/hardware.
Apple can do better and should do so. A fully integrated Apple solution based on open source technology that plays nice with multiple OS’s and pushes the envelope to what open source community standard software and hardware can do.
Lock Exchange out of this, leave them in the dust and out in the cold. Bury RIM and Blackberry with a successful iPhone and call the shots.
Don’t roll over and play dead before the starting gates have even opened up.
That’s my 2c.
MDN “law” as in Apple should be the new “law” in town (ie new sherif).