The focus of smartphone development is moving, at least to some extent, from the hardware to software and applications. The 2009 BlackBerry Developer Conference, which is being held Nov. 9-12 in San Francisco, is centered on ensuring that the applications for the BlackBerry are as useful and flexible as those for Apple’s iPhone, Palm’s Pre, the Droid from Motorola, and other smartphone platforms that are competing for market share.
“It’s a commitment to keep investing in the platform, a commitment to provide a richer environment and better capabilities for BlackBerry developers,” said Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis for the NPD Group. “RIM has done very well in terms of market share, but needs to evolve its broadband capabilities and user interface to keep competitive with more recent operating systems.”
New Offerings for Developers
Research in Motion has already made several developer-related announcements. The BlackBerry Advertising Service will enable developers to integrate advertising into apps. The ad units, which will be available from specialty advertising networks, will be compliant with Mobile Marketing Association guidelines.
Subscribers will be able to add calendar or contact entries and link to BlackBerry App World applications from an ad. Sophisticated reporting information — such as ad impressions, clicks, conversions and earnings — also will be available.
RIM also announced the BlackBerry Payment Service, which will create revenue streams for developers by enabling the sale of premium content, game upgrades, and other value-added functions. The availability of push services will be expanded to all registered developers from its current status as an exclusive service for members of the BlackBerry Alliance Program.
Better GPS Functionality
RIM said new GPS functionality includes cell-site geolocation — a more accurate means of locating a device — as well as reverse geocoding and Travel Time, an application that can provide estimates of the time necessary…