This is great news for RIM and BlackBerry devices. OS 7 has just been announced as approved for the U.S. Department of Defense as in the U.S. Army and Defense Information Systems Agency. There are four different OS 7 devices approved. Check out the Press Release…

Here’s the Press Release:

RIM Announces Approval of BlackBerry 7 Smartphones for U.S. Department of Defense Networks

DISA Mission Partner Conference, Tampa, FL - Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today announced DoD-wide approval for the use of BlackBerry® 7 smartphones. Working with U.S. Army and Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) sponsors and partners, BlackBerry 7 smartphones have undergone successful testing through Army labs leading to a subsequent listing on DISA’s Unified Communications Approved Product List (UCAPL).

The approval allows all DoD customers to use the following BlackBerry 7 smartphones on DoD networks:

• BlackBerry® Bold™ 9900 and 9930 (touch screen with keyboard)
• BlackBerry® Torch™ 9810 (touch screen with slide out keyboard)
• BlackBerry® Torch™ 9850 and 9860 (full screen touch screen)
• BlackBerry® Curve™ 9360 (keyboard)

“The Army introduced a wide range of new apps and capabilities for their BlackBerry users last year, and these new BlackBerry 7 smartphones will now enable Army users, and all DoD users, to experience an even greater level of performance on new smartphones that include features such as voice activated universal search, Near Field Communications, Augmented Reality, and Social Feeds 2.0 just to name a few,” said Scott Totzke, SVP, BlackBerry Security Group at RIM. “RIM’s unwavering focus on security and RIM’s achievement of key security certifications including FIPS 140-2 validation and Common Criteria EAL4+ accreditation continue to be very important to many of our DoD and enterprise customers, but leveraging the full power of BlackBerry smartphones is also important as it helps them realize the full potential of their investment in the BlackBerry platform.”

For more information about BlackBerry 7 smartphones and features, please visit:  www.blackberry.com/bb7.

Today at CTIA in New Orleans, TomTom announced that RIM is using TomTom’s award winning real-time traffic services for BlackBerry apps. This would include BlackBerry Maps and BlackBerry Traffic. This will provide great up to date traffic information for those of us who use Maps and Traffic. Check it out…

Press Release:

RIM selects TomTom HD Traffic

~HD Traffic provides real-time traffic information for BlackBerry apps~

CTIA Wireless, New Orleans, May 8, 2012 – TomTom today announced that Research In Motion (RIM) is using TomTom’s award winning real-time traffic services for BlackBerry® applications. BlackBerry® Traffic is now powered by TomTom HD Traffic, giving customers access to the most accurate, comprehensive and up-to-date traffic information on the market. Additionally, TomTom maps and location content is used in BlackBerry® Maps, and for BlackBerry® Locate Services, which gives 3rd party software developers access to the mapping and traffic information for their own apps.

“Through our strategic relationship with RIM, we are enabling the future of mobile travel with powerful location content and real-time information, including HD Traffic,” said Nuno Campos, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for TomTom Licensing. “TomTom’s market-leading real-time traffic information will provide BlackBerry customers with the best mobile travel experience.”

“We’re thrilled to work with TomTom to leverage their industry-leading traffic and travel content for BlackBerry Traffic and BlackBerry Maps, and to enable access to those capabilities for BlackBerry developers as well,” said Martyn Mallick, Vice President, Global Alliances and Business Development at Research In Motion.

According to a recent study, TomTom’s traffic information saves commuters 50 minutes of travel time per week or approximately 40 hours per year. With HD Traffic, BlackBerry customers will be able to select the best route to their destinations in an effort to not only save time but also fuel.

I’m pretty excited about the announcement. I love my BlackBerry Traffic app and use BlackBerry Maps quite a bit. I’m sure this will also bring a big difference to BlackBerry 10 and the BlackBerry 10 Porsche. What thoughts do you have to share?

We’ve been waiting for the announcement, and today on Inside BlackBerry, the announcement has been made. There are new faces at RIM! Who are the new COO and CMO for RIM? Kristian Tear and Frank Boulben. Who are the new additions to RIM? While they’re names I don’t recognize, their backgrounds are impressive. Check it out…

COO Kritian Tear:

Kristian Tear brings almost 25 years of wireless experience in general management, sales and marketing, services and operations within the telecommunications, infrastructure and consumer industries.  Most recently, Kristian served as Executive Vice President at Sony Mobile Communications AB, a subsidiary of Sony Corp.  Kristian served as a member of the Executive Management Team, as Chairman of the Board of Sony Mobile Inc Americas and Sony Mobile International AB.  He was also Chairman of the Product Business Council, Chairman of the Accessories Business Unit, Board member of Sony Mobile Japan and China.

Previously, Mr. Tear also served as the Corporate Vice President of Sony Ericsson Western Europe based in Munich, with responsibility for the region Western Europe and Global Customer Accounts.  Prior to that, he served as Corporate Vice President at Sony Ericsson Headquarters in London.  From 1999-2005, he served as President and CEO of Ericsson in various regions and markets, including in South East Asia, Germany, Switzerland and Austria and Central America.

CMO Frank Boulben:

Frank Boulben brings to RIM more than 20 years of international experience in the wireless industry with senior marketing and sales roles at global wireless carriers such as Vodafone and Orange. Most recently, he was the Executive Vice President for Strategy, Marketing and Sales for LightSquared. He was recruited as employee number two to create a new 4G-LTE nationwide wireless network in the United States.

Previously, Frank was the Director of Commercial Strategy for Vodafone Group, responsible for strategic marketing, customer insights and segmentation, pricing, customer investment optimization and roaming. Prior to Vodafone, Frank was the Executive Vice President for Brand and Consumer Marketing for Orange Group, responsible for brand and communications, consumer propositions, value-based marketing, which included pricing and customer investment optimization, customer insights and segmentation, CRM, product marketing and devices portfolio management.

Before joining Orange, Frank spent eight years working for Vivendi Universal, occupying several strategy and marketing roles for SFR and then as CEO of Vivendi Universal Internet division with a focus on mobile services.  During 2005-2006, Frank served on the Board of the GSM Association (the world’s largest trade association representing more than 800 wireless carriers in 219 countries) and was the Chairman of the Strategy Committee.

I know after the glimpse we had in BlackBerry World and now the announcement that we can look forward to some big changes and impressive innovation. You can read more about the announcement from Inside BlackBerry and even more details from RIM’s newsroom here.

[via: Inside BlackBerry & RIM's newsroom]

It’s that time of year that we, BlackBerry users, get very excited about. Two major events are taking place in Orlando, Florida and we’re very excited and anxiously awaiting to see what RIM has in store. What is BlackBerry World and BlackBerry Jam? Check it out…

BlackBerry 10 Jam is:

BlackBerry® 10 Jam is where app developers will meet in May to learn about the innovations coming to the BlackBerry 10 developer platform. This special developer conference will bring you over 80 breakout sessions, instructor-led labs and roundtables focused on HTML5, Native, Adobe® Flash® & Adobe® AIR®, and Android™ development platform. We will give you the opportunity on day three to share best practices, success stories and demos with other developers, key influencers and BlackBerry experts through collaborative and fun sessions.

Why attend Jam?

• Be the first to develop for the BlackBerry 10 platform.
• Get a snapshot of the new things you can do with the BlackBerry 10 development platform. Learn about the unique capabilities of BlackBerry 10 to set your application apart.
• Collaborate with your community. Learn, share and network with your peers. Make valuable connections that will make you even more successful with BlackBerry.
• One-on-one expert guidance. Jam with BlackBerry platform experts and build a better app.

Who will be there?

Anyone who is excited about developing for the upcoming BlackBerry 10 platform will be at this BlackBerry 10 Jam conference, from beginner to master mobile application developers for various software languages including HTML5, Native, Java and Adobe Flash/AIR.

Developers will be able to take part in instructor led labs, information sessions and more. Sessions and labs will be dedicated to:

• BlackBerry® Native SDK – a C/C++ environment with support for open source libraries
• HTML5+BlackBerry® WebWorks™ – HTML5 tools with an added layer for app enhancement through BlackBerry WebWorks
• Adobe® Flash® – The AIR® SDK for BlackBerry allows developers to build apps with Flash+AIR tools
• Android – the Android runtime will run applications that have been packaged from APK files to BAR files and submitted to BlackBerry App World™

I’m really looking forward to see what apps come ported over from Android, how many apps get tweaked and ready for BlackBerry 10, and what new apps and updates will be announced and made available.

Keynote Speakers will include:

• President and CEO of RIM: Thorsten Heins
• CIO of RIM: Robin Bienfait
• Vice President, Enterprise Product Management and Marketing at RIM: Alan Panezic

There’s also a Super Session which includes the following Keynote Speakers:

• Vice President, Developer Relations and Ecosystem Development, QNX Software Systems Limited: Alec Saunders
• Vice President, BlackBerry Application Platform and Tools, RIM: Christopher Smith

Those developers who registered are also going to receive a developer prototype device. This is a tool for developers to prepare for BlackBerry 10 and is not a BlackBerry device for end users. There’s also an unconference day on Day 3 that allows you to suggest or address certain content you need more information or guidance with.

There will be many session speakers as well. It’s going to be a very interesting and great experience for those who attend, and we will be anxiously awaiting the news and surprises that will be revealed.

Now onto BlackBerry World.

What is BlackBerry World?

The BlackBerry World™ conference is the largest annual gathering for the BlackBerry® ecosystem, and the place where the community behind innovative BlackBerry solutions comes together to learn, share and network.

BlackBerry World brings together a wide range of audiences in the world of mobile technology:

• Business leaders and executives
• IT Administrators and IT Decision Makers
• Mobile Application Developers
• BlackBerry Channel Partners, including those who sell to consumers, small- and medium-sized business, and enterprise customers
• BlackBerry Alliance Members, including ISVs, content providers, developers, system integrators, hosters, professional services providers, and platform providers

BlackBerry World 2012 Highlights?

• Be the first to know about the latest innovations and information on the BlackBerry solution, including the BlackBerry® 10 Platform, BlackBerry® Mobile Fusion, BlackBerry® PlayBook™ Tablet OS 2.0, BlackBerry® 7 OS, and more
• Discover innovative ways to boost business productivity, get the most out of your IT investments, and extend IT infrastructure to overcome development challenges
• Get the answers you need from BlackBerry experts, industry leaders, carriers, and vendors to help you learn everything you need to know about value-driven wireless solutions
• See live demonstrations of mobile technology at work
• Take advantage of the unparalleled networking opportunities to enhance and develop your business relationships
• Leave with expert insight about the benefits of the BlackBerry solution
• And more

Why attend?

There are so many reasons for BlackBerry users to attend BlackBerry World. This is your opportunity to find out about the latest developments for the BlackBerry solution, meet with BlackBerry experts, form new business relationships, and get answers to your IT, business, and application development questions. As part of the BlackBerry ecosystem, you cannot afford to miss this event.

BlackBerry World offers unique opportunities for Business Leaders, Enterprise Developers, and IT Professionals:

• Get the specific BlackBerry knowledge you need to help you do your job better, including deployment best practices, developer tools, tips and tricks, and learning how to implement and manage the latest technology in your organization
• IT Administrators can get a more in depth education in the BlackBerry Training Courses
• BlackBerry users can become BlackBerry Certified at the conference
• Everything you need to know about the BlackBerry solution is all in one place
• Take in all of the great Breakout Session content - with an abundance of sessions, you’ll find the information you need to take your mobile strategies to the next level
• Gain access to the wireless marketplace in the Solutions Showcase, where our conference sponsors will be onsite to show you how you can enhance your deployment
• Get insight into the big picture from industry leading analysts and experts
• Network and learn from your peers – find out what’s working for them in today’s competitive landscape and how their learning can be applied to challenges that you face

Keynote Speakers:

• President and CEO of RIM: Thorsten Heins
• CIO of RIM: Robin Bienfait
• Vice President, Enterprise Product Management and Marketing at RIM: Alan Panezic

There are also several session speakers who will give insight and provide support. I’m really excited  to see what comes out of the BlackBerry World 2012 and BlackBerry 10 Jam events.

If you want to keep up with the latest with us, you can catch the live webcast of Thorsten’s keynote presentation here on Tuesday May 1st at 10 a.m. EST.

Ronen from BerryReview posted a great article and quiz on some headlines he ran across on the PentechLetter. It’s a wonderful reminder that while RIM is experiencing a battle, Apple has been where they are. Back in August 6, 1997 Microsoft founder Bill Gates bailed out a struggling Apple with a $150 Million dollar investment. Check it out…

I thought I’d share the video from YouTube from 1997 in which some very unhappy iFan boys and girls had to listen to Steve Jobs announce the partnership of Microsoft as Bill Gates had come to Apple’s rescue.

The quiz is comprised of ten questions, some were from back in 1997 and some are recent headlines. See if you can guess which company is company X.

Quiz

1. “Company X should close shop”
2. “Company X’s CEO said to be out the door”
3. “Why Microsoft Should Buy Company X”
4. “Company X struggling as market share in U.S. keeps slipping”
5. Company X: “Morgan Stanley Chops EPS Forecasts”
6. “The Fall of an American Icon”
7. “Company X results will continue to disappoint”
8. “Company X Holds School Market, Despite Decline”
9. “Are Company X sales weaker than thought?”
10. “Company X Expects it will Lose $700 Million”

Now check your answers here: CantechLetter, let us know how you did.

[via: BerryReview & CantechLetter & Wired]

[picture credit: Best Choice Tech]

It seems as though RIM and BlackBerry have been getting the brunt of the comments and jokes for a while now. Robert Scoble posted on Google + how he sees that developers are deserting the platform and comparing RIM to a chicken with its head cut off, but Alec has some insight as well.

When I think of RIM/BlackBerry, I think of three things primarily. One, email. It does email like no one else and the reputation was built on that. Two, security. I love the way even Bluetooth must ask permissions. Android is open and less secure and iOS and Apple are very proprietary. BlackBerry is the security and the convenience in one device. Three, BBM. It’s been one of the strong points a BlackBerry has.

That’s not to say RIM hasn’t seen troubles and they’re in the clear. They have had some major changes, from the new CEO to VP’s and teams that have been putting themselves out there for both developers and consumers alike. They are making strides, changing up the game, and putting more effort than ever into their lineup. They are not yuppies who are unseasoned or inexperienced. Not by far. They all have their experiences in other companies and know where the real tasks lay.

Alec gave in great detail, an answer to Robert’s theory. This is the excerpt of the post:

“ There’s no money, Robert, in being just another undifferentiated Android handset.”

I believe that if we did nothing, the world would unfold as Robert said.  But we’re not doing nothing. We’re running successful events, seeding devices, and building up evangelism teams across the globe.  No doubt, it’s a fight, but we’re focused on retaining our existing developers and growing our ecosystem.

We’ve got two key weapons in that fight.

Open Standards.  After iOS and Android, the next thing developers are focused on is HTML5, because they’re looking for a solution that will let them target multiple handset vendors, not just one.  RIM has, hands-down, the best implementation of HTML5 in mobile today.  PlayBook OS 2.0 benchmarks better than any other mobile implementation (just point your PlayBook at HTML5Test.com), and better than every desktop browser, except Chrome 16. It also includes WebGL for accelerated 3D graphics, and with WebWorks, we can free HTML5 code from the browser, let you upload it to AppWorld, and turn that HTML5 website into a revenue generating HTML5 application.  How ‘bout them apples?

For those that really want performance, PlayBook OS and our upcoming BlackBerry 10 OS are POSIX operating systems that you program with C and C++. Another open standard, with over 30 years of code written that’s compliant.   As one blogger recently wrote, Cross Platform Begins With C.

Soon we’ll add our secret sauce – a graphical UX framework called Cascades.  Stay tuned for that!

Open Communities.  One of the things that we’ve worked hard at is to embrace communities of developers.  So, you can build applications on our platforms using Flash, Android, gaming frameworks like Marmalade, Unity, and Shiva3d, open source like Qt, Boost, Cocos2dx, scripting languages like Lua, and so on.  If you’ve got a code base that you’d like to bring to BlackBerry, we want to help.

Open Source, Open Communities, and Open Standards like HTML5, C and C++ running on a POSIX framework.  What’s more mom and apple pie than that?”

Speaking of Cascades, there is a video from the DevCon which shows the beauty of Cascades as a Cookbook app. I love the way The Astonishing Tribe/RIM has been applying their creativity. I would love to have a cookbook app such as the one in the video. I was really impressed by it. Check it out…

I don’t believe for a minute that RIM is going to go under. Other companies have been in the same place at some point, and the strong survive. I believe that RIM will do the same. The release of OS 2.0 is a testament for me to that. It’s beautiful, it’s stunning, it’s intuitive, and it’s only the beginning. What are your thoughts about it? Are there any developers out there who care to add a comment? We’re curious to know what you think.

[video via: CrackBerry]

I’m really impressed by the amount of advertising RIM is placing out there, and these commercials carry some great lines such as “I’m about Action, not Distraction” or “We need Tools, not Toys”. It’s nice to see some commercials about different professions and how they use their BlackBerry. Check it out….

The first commercial you are introduced to BlackBerry Advocates,  the Martinez brothers who are Global DJ’s and music producers. They talk about how they use their BlackBerry devices and that they need tools, not toys.

The second commercial introduces you to BlackBerry Advocate, John Hansburg, a food buyer for celebrity chefs. He too talks about how he uses his BlackBerry in his daily business, and also says he’s about action, not distraction.

I’m sure you’ve seen this one, as it’s been on for a while on the airwaves, but it’s really impressive. RIM deserves Kudos for putting so much effort into the advertising that we haven’t seen in a while, great job RIM! What do you think about the videos so far?

BlackBerry has posted an interview with the new President and CEO of RIM, Thorsten Heins. Thorsten Heins has been with RIM since 2007. He was one of RIM’s Chief Operating Officers prior to this promotion. We have the interview by RIM, some background on Thorsten Heins, and highlights from the video.

According to the article on Inside BlackBerry, here’s some background on Thorsten Heins:

“ Mr. Heins came to RIM in December 2007 from the industrial conglomerate Siemens AG. He joined Siemens in 1984 after graduating from the University of Hannover in his native Germany. At Siemens, Mr. Heins rose through the ranks of R&D customer service, sales and product management positions. After serving as Chief Executive Officer of various business divisions in the communication business, Mr. Heins moved to Chief Technology Officer and member of the Group Board of the Siemens Communications Group. He came to RIM after being impressed by the level of innovation displayed by founders Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie. He became Senior Vice President for the Handheld Business Unit. He played key roles in the creation of RIM’s product portfolio. Prior to today’s announcement, Mr. Heins was one of RIM’s two Chief Operating Officers.”

I find the video gives the thoughts of Mr. Heins in various areas and as I listened, I got the feeling he’s looking to keep the consumers in mind and the employees a part of the process. The video highlights Thorsten Heins views on RIM’s strengths, the next five years, growth and enthusiasm, BlackBerry PlayBook v2.0, the best people, motivation, himself, and his proudest moment. I did find Engadget’s article to be somewhat closed minded. They posted their article with some thoughts on what they heard but as I include those, I’ll add what I heard in parenthesis. Please leave comments as to what you gather from the video and Engadget.

From Engadget:

• “We have taken this to totally new heights and that journey isn’t over yet.” (The BlackBerry PlayBook was a real shot for RIM and OS 7 is different with compass, NFC, and Tag, but the big change is coming with BlackBerry OS 2.0 for PlayBook and the BB 10)
• “If we continue doing well what we’re doing, I see no problems with us being in the top three players worldwide in the next years in wireless.” (As of lately with involving the consumer, more advertising, more involvement with the public)
• “At the very core of RIM is the innovation. We always think ahead. We always think forward. We sometimes think the unthinkable. And that is fantastic.” (Major ideas, and if there’s any proof needed, just look at the BlackBerry Porsche and the BB 10)
• “Internally, from a process perspective, I think we need to get a bit more disciplined in our own processes.” (Doing what they do best but doing it better)
• “We are a great innovative company, but sometimes we innovate too much while we’re building a product.” (Finishing a product and getting them out quickly)
• “What we need to get a bit better at here is to have a little bit more of an ear toward the consumer. I want the strengthen this by bringing really good marketing expertise in.” (Listening to the consumers and filling their needs)
• “…With the ‘Be Bold’ campaigns, starting right now, I find this really exciting. I’m getting good feedback and we want to continue driving this.” (The BE Bold campaign has given more coverage to BlackBerry from what we’ve seen in the past)
• “Don’t lose focus on what the present is. Congratulations to the team; we’ve seen great success with PlayBook 2.0 at CES. We are heading absolutely in the right direction.” (Being excited with the advances and seeing where the future is taking them)
• “BB 10, needless to say, we have to ship on time. I can’t wait to see it.”
• “I’m also very performance driven. When we decide on getting something done, I want it to be done on time at good quality and at good cost. That defines our customer satisfaction.” (How can one argue that they’ve taken strides in what they’ve accomplished and where the products are going)

I found the interview to be a good snapshot and hopefully the company can continue to drive the extra mile. One thing everyone needs to remember is BlackBerry is communication and they do it great. They’re not as open as Android, which is a very positive thing. They’re not as closed as Apple who is extremely proprietary. They are BlackBerry. I know for me, all my needs are met with the BlackBerry. I believe they chose Sunday to announce the new CEO as it was the start of a new week as well as a start for a new era.

What are your thoughts on the interview?

[via: Inside BlackBerry, Engadget, & YouTube]

The Press Release made it official, and Inside BlackBerry has posted the announcement. Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis step down from their Co-CEO positions as Thorsten Heins steps up to the plate. I know Thorsten must be excited and elated to be taking RIM across the threshold and into a new era.

Today must be a very sad but yet happy time for Research In Motion. While Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis have taken the company through different devices, they have had their share of trials and tribulations, and the time has come for someone new to try and fill the shoes and take RIM into the new era. I’m sad to see them step down, but it’s time for a new outlook and leadership, someone who can keep up with the technology and bring enthusiasm to the team, as well as listen to consumers and employees alike. I respect Mr Balsillie and Lazaridis for the strides they’ve taken, and we congratulate Thorsten Heins on his new position and look forward to the new changes he will bring with RIM.

The announcement from FaceBook and Inside BlackBerry from BlackBerry was somewhat surprising. We all knew something would change but it just seemed so sudden.

From Inside BlackBerry:

”

The Board of Directors of BlackBerry® maker Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today announced that acting on the recommendation of its Co-Chief Executive Officers to implement the succession plan they previously submitted to the Board, it has unanimously named Thorsten Heins as President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Heins was also appointed to RIM’s Board. The Board acted after conducting its own due diligence. Both appointments are effective immediately.

Mike Lazaridis, former Co-Chair and Co-CEO, becomes Vice Chair of RIM’s Board and Chair of Board’s New Innovation Committee. Jim Balsillie, former Co-CEO, remains a member of the Board. RIM Board Member Barbara Stymiest has been named the independent Board Chair. Prem Watsa, CEO of Fairfax Financial Holdings, has also been named to the Board. For more information, please see the official RIM press release.

A conference call and live webcast will be held beginning at 8 am ET, January 23, 2012, which can be accessed by dialing 1-800-814-4859 (North America), (+1) 416-644-3414 (outside North America) or through your personal computer or BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet at www.rim.com/investors/events/index.shtml.”

Press Release:

Research In Motion Names Thorsten Heins President and CEO

RIM just sent out a press release to let us know they’ll be showcasing BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 at CES 2012. The new PlayBook OS will bring the much anticipated native applications for email and contacts, as well social network integration. PlayBook OS 2.0 will also bring an awesome (and much needed) function to BlackBerry Bridge that will allow you to use your BlackBerry smartphones keyboard to control your BlackBerry PlayBook. The update is still on track for release next month (February 2012). Press release is below…

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA–(Marketwire – Jan. 9, 2012) – (CES 2012) – This week at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ:RIMM)(TSX:RIM) will be previewing new features of BlackBerry(R) PlayBook(TM) OS 2.0 that will enable customers to stay even more connected and productive in their personal and professional lives.

“BlackBerry PlayBook is already recognized for delivering powerful performance, true multi-tasking, advanced web browsing and HD multimedia in an ultra-portable design,” said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at Research In Motion. “With BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 we are building on this strong foundation, as well as leveraging our strengths in communications, social integration and productivity, to allow people to use their BlackBerry PlayBook in new ways throughout the day.”

CES 2012 attendees who visit the BlackBerry booth at CES (South Hall 3 Booth # 30326) will get a sneak peek of upcoming BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 functionality including:

Advanced Messaging Experience:

– New unified inbox – a powerful unified inbox within the built-in
messaging app allows users to quickly manage their personal email and
work email accounts as well as the messaging capabilities of popular
social networking sites like Twitter(R), LinkedIn(R) and others – all in
one place.
– Multi-tasking within email – by extending the BlackBerry PlayBook
tablet’s multitasking capabilities to ‘tabbed email’, users are able to
reference one email while they compose another.
– Rich-text email composing and editing – new features within the Messages
app enable users to benefit from full support of fonts, formatting and
editing of email threads, offering a robust email experience similar to
that of a PC or laptop.
– Inbox management tools – allows for powerful inbox search across
multiple email accounts, as well as the ability to set out-of-office
messages and email signatures directly from their tablet.

Deep Integration of Social Relationships:

– Innovative people-centric calendar – in addition to standard calendar
features that help users plan and organize their day, the powerful
built-in Calendar app provides the unique ability for users to view
their calendar by who they are meeting with that day and review valuable
information about that contact. Information is consolidated
automatically from social networking sites about that contact and/or
their company.
– Relationship-centric contacts app – more than just an address book, the
new built-in Contacts app serves as a social hub – merging and
consolidating information from multiple sources (including email and
social channels) into one contact file for each person in their address
book. Each contact file includes information such as recent status
updates, conversations, related news articles and mutual contacts that
are kept up-to-date automatically.

Making Your BlackBerry Smartphone and Tablet a Powerful Pair:

– Remote control for the BlackBerry PlayBook – new BlackBerry(R)
Bridge(TM) features allow a user’s BlackBerry(R) smartphone to act as a
keyboard and mouse for their BlackBerry PlayBook – effectively providing
a wireless remote control for their tablet. Perfect for pausing a movie
when a BlackBerry PlayBook is plugged in to a TV with an HDMI
connection, or for using the tactile QWERTY keyboard on a BlackBerry
smartphone to compose a message or document on the BlackBerry PlayBook.
– Opening content on the BlackBerry PlayBook – BlackBerry Bridge allows
you to take documents, emails, multimedia files and web pages found on
your smartphone and open them quickly and directly on the BlackBerry
PlayBook so you can use the larger high resolution display for an
optimized viewing and editing experience.

Improved Mobile Productivity:

– Updated document editing capabilities – updated Documents To Go(R)
functionality makes it easier for users to create and edit documents
while on the go. Improvements include: enhanced support for the virtual
keyboard, the ability to view and update embedded charts and chart
sheets within spreadsheets, a new formula wizard with over 100 functions
as well as the ability to edit presentations including text, bullets and
formatting.
– Print To Go application – this app allows users to wirelessly “print”
from their laptop or PC directly to their BlackBerry PlayBook over Wi-
Fi(R). A digital printout is created on the BlackBerry PlayBook so that
users can view, sort and manage their digital printouts as though they
were physical sheets of paper. The Print To Go app is the perfect way to
consolidate info from various related sources like a hotel web
confirmation, an airline boarding pass email, the show event schedule or
even a map of the destination city and make them available for quick
access on the go.
– Increased control and manageability of corporate data – the combination
of BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 with BlackBerry Mobile Fusion and
BlackBerry Balance will help to overcome many barriers to widespread
tablet deployment, including device manageability and the ability to
secure, manage and control confidential corporate information on the
device. Plus BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 supports dedicated shelf space
inside the BlackBerry(R) App World(TM) storefront to allow IT
departments to control distribution of enterprise applications and to
make those approved enterprise applications easily available to the
organization’s end users.

New Apps and Content:

– Your favorite apps plus thousands more – many exciting new applications
built for the BlackBerry PlayBook will be made available on BlackBerry
App World with the availability of BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0. From
gaming and lifestyle to business and productivity, RIM is showcasing
some of the latest apps available for the BlackBerry PlayBook at CES
2012 including Angry Birds, Cut the Rope, Groupon, Thomson Reuters,
Zinio and many more.
– Video store – a catalog of thousands of movies and TV shows will be
available through the integrated BlackBerry Video Storefront(i) with new
releases to be made available for purchase or rent the same day they
come out on DVD. Users will be able to begin watching media as soon as
they start to download the file, so users won’t have to wait for the
entire file to transfer before they can enjoy great entertainment on the
tablet’s high resolution display, or on an HDTV via the BlackBerry
PlayBook tablet’s HDMI output.
– Enhanced web browsing – the BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 browser also
includes a new reading view, which is designed to make web sites even
easier to enjoy by eliminating page clutter at the touch of a button.
What’s left is a cleaner format that is great for reading online news
articles, blog posts, or websites that contain heavy amounts of text.
Availability

The BlackBerry(R) PlayBook OS 2.0 software update will be available as a free download for all BlackBerry PlayBook users and is expected to be available in February 2012.

(i) BlackBerry Video Store will initially be available in the United States. Support for other countries is expected to be added later this year.