RIM unveils BlackBerry platform updates

Research In Motion announced a series of updates for its BlackBerry platform, promising enhanced usability and increased end-user productivity via enhanced messaging and collaboration, more efficient management, enhanced security and expanded application development support. In addition to HTML and rich text email rendering, RIM rolled out enterprise tools including document download and editing, remote message search, calendar lookup and advanced IM and presence. According to RIM, a new web-based device management console called BlackBerry Web Desktop Manager increases deployment flexibility and simplifies software upgrades by enabling BlackBerry users to install software and manage their smartphones from any browser-enabled computer, effectively reducing the volume of software components installed on end-user workstations--new over-the-air software upgrades were also introduced.

Following the recent release of the BlackBerry Java Development Environment v4.3.0, RIM added new APIs, including support for Java Micro Edition Wireless Messaging 2.0, Content Handler, Internationalization and Web Services APIs. The new BlackBerry platform enhancements are scheduled to be phased in to new software releases throughout the first half of 2008.

For more on the BlackBerry updates:
-read this release

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