RIM Releases Enhanced Java and Web Development Tools

Updated Plug-ins and SDKs Make It Even Easier to Create Feature-Rich Applications on the BlackBerry Platform

Research In Motion today released updated Java and Web-based development tools for the BlackBerry platform. The BlackBerry Java Plug-In for Eclipse v1.1 and the BlackBerry Web Plug-in v2.0 offer new capabilities that make it even easier to create feature-rich applications. The BlackBerry Widget SDK (Software Development Kit) v1.0 and the BlackBerry Java SDK v5.0, which includes more than 20,000 APIs, provide unparalleled access to BlackBerry smartphone hardware features, native BlackBerry software applications and other unique system capabilities of the BlackBerry Application Platform.

Using the new tools developers can quickly and easily build web-based BlackBerry Widgets or Java applications that leverage the unique benefits of the BlackBerry Application Platform to seamlessly share information across and interact with core BlackBerry applications or other third party applications.  These are personalized and contextualized applications that can integrate with a BlackBerry smartphone’s inbox, calendar, address book and other native BlackBerry applications to deliver a highly engaging user experience.

“The BlackBerry Application Platform continues to evolve tremendously and the new tool enhancements make developing applications for BlackBerry smartphones easier and faster than ever,” said Alan Brenner, Senior Vice President, BlackBerry Platform at Research In Motion. “We believe these enhanced tools will spur a new level of creativity and innovation as developers find new ways to leverage the unique power and integrated nature of the BlackBerry platform in order to bring useful, intelligent applications to the millions of BlackBerry smartphone users around the world.”

BlackBerry Java Plug-In for Eclipse v1.1
•    Enables Java developers to leverage a familiar open source development environment (Eclipse 3.5) to create, debug, profile and simulate their applications using a wide selection of BlackBerry smartphone simulators, actual devices and multiple versions of the BlackBerry OS
•    Improved productivity features include the ability to instantly load and immediately run a modified application being debugged without having to reset the simulator or device, providing tremendous time savings