Research In Motion Helping Developers with New Blackberry 10 Operating System

Research In Motion is making good on the promise of helping developers with apps for their new Blackberry 10 operating system.

During the Blackberry Jam last month, RIM said it would open development centers to help develop and port apps to the new operating platform. They have now opened their first center in Slough, England.

This just the beginning of RIM opening assistance centers around the world.

Blackberry 10 is set to launch early next year and it may be the last ditch effort to revive the struggling cell phone manufacturer. Blackberry has acknowledged they need a much stronger platform of applications to compete with iPhone and Android based phones.

In desperation, Blackberry has sent out more than 5,000 BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha handsets so developers can test their apps on and work out perceivable bugs.

Alec Saunders, RIM’s head of developer relations, said of this development, “The opening of this first BlackBerry Tech Centre underscores our ongoing commitment to actively engage with and support the efforts of our developer community.” 

Although Blackberry has the strongest operating system – used by military and government personnel for this reason – and is one of the most functional phones on the market, it has fallen out of favor because of its lack of apps, focused more on business than on fun. For Blackberry to reclaim its market share, helping developers make apps available to Blackberry users is critical.

Some of the future assistance centers are slated for opening in Indonesia, Silicon Valley and Vancouver, among others. For Blackberry users, RIM’s development centers come as welcome news, representing Blackberry’s dedication to staying competitive in the market that is now pervaded by iOS and Android devices.

These centers should not only help Blackberry to stay competitive, but ensure that Blackberry users have access to the same benefits that other smartphone users do.