Developing For The RIM BlackBerry Platform
Introduction
Research In Motion (RIM) is a Canadian company that has somewhat quietly produced some of the most successful products in mobile computing. These products, known collectively as BlackBerry devices, have been met with an enthusiastic response, particularly among business professionals who are primarily interested in always-available email on a small handheld device. While email is certainly the "killer app" for RIM's targeted audience, a growing number of developers have also built custom applications for the RIM platform. This number is sure to grow in the coming months, as RIM has announced their support for Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME) and General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) communications capabilities in future BlackBerry devices. In this article, I'll provide a brief look into the RIM platform and the development options available for the software developer.