BlackBerry links to phones

Research in Motion (RIM) last week announced that it is working with Symbian and Microsoft to enable smartphones to access RIM's BlackBerry wireless data services. The move will widen the choice of mobile clients available to firms that have already invested in BlackBerry services, and could make BlackBerry more attractive for firms mobilising data.

The BlackBerry Connect licensing programme enables handset vendors to build in support for the push-based BlackBerry wireless technology, said RIM. Microsoft will provide the necessary software for its Pocket PC and Smartphone 2002 platforms, while Symbian will do the same for its smartphone operating system.

"We are working together to make sure that any Symbian device from any vendor can use BlackBerry services," said Peter Bancroft, Symbian's vice president of communications.

Bancroft was unable to predict when this capability would be available, saying that it was up to the handset makers that license the Symbian platform. "We make it possible at an operating system level, but it's up to the vendors to work with RIM and integrate it. It won't be a major technical challenge to make it work," he said. The same will likely apply to Microsoft-based devices.

The existing BlackBerry service gives firms always-on access to email and other corporate information for mobile staff. In the UK, the service is offered through mobile operators O2 and Vodafone. Corporate customers need a BlackBerry Enterprise Server on their LAN. Customers also currently need to use BlackBerry clients from RIM.

When BlackBerry support is built into smartphones, firms using the BlackBerry service will be able to choose from a wider range of mobile clients, such as Nokia's high-end models. Smartphone handsets have more features than BlackBerry devices, often including a Web browser and colour screen, and can run other applications.

The move by RIM marks a departure from its previous strategy of trying to offer a complete end-to-end solution to enterprises. Since the introduction of faster wireless connections such as GPRS, firms have increasingly found that smartphones can meet their mobile data needs.

"BlackBerry is truly becoming the wireless platform of choice for enterprise data connectivity. Support for smartphones will further enhance and extend the reach of the platform," said Jim Balsillie, co-chief executive at RIM.

Other wireless data solution providers have offered support for Pocket PC and Symbian devices for some time. Symbian said it is still working with BlackBerry rivals such as Extended Systems, which offers data synchronisation services. "It's all about offering choice for corporate customers, and the network operators," Bancroft said.

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