BlackBerry 10 development continues to gain strength

While showcasing the power and design of the BlackBerry 10 at its BlackBerry Jam Americas conference, Research In Motion (RIM) also demonstrated that the operating system will take the company's application design in a new direction.

While the new OS provides visually stunning apps, it also allows for the creation of much more powerful ones. Games and productivity apps were showcased to demonstrate the system's ability to handle much more than its predecessors, and, according to RIM, its got developers excited.

"The response to BlackBerry 10 on all levels has been incredible and developers have certainly embraced this new platform and are taking early advantage of the tools and support we are providing to them," said Alec Saunders, vice president of Developer Relations and Ecosystems at RIM. "Our community is telling us about apps from every category that look and feel just amazing."

The company recently released the software development kits for the OS as well, showcasing a complete HTML5 toolset with native integration, app sharing and updates to Adobe AIR and Android runtimes. With these new tools, developers will be able to begin mobile application development and testing immediately.

"With our new SDK build now available, applications can really take advantage of our integration and sharing features," Saunders said. "This really allows that heightened level of differentiation for apps that platform providers should be bringing to their communities."

While these updates may not be enough to bring RIM and the BlackBerry platform back into full competition with Apple and Google for the top smartphone on the market, they should provide many new uses for professionals and consumers who upgrade to BlackBerry 10. This shows that while RIM may not be on top of the smartphone pile anymore, it isn't ready to be forgotten.

For any business, this provides an excellent opportunity to consider updating BlackBerry enterprise apps in use, or begin integrating them into the company mobility strategy. Many businessmen and women still use BlackBerry devices for their integration and long history with professional use, and a company shouldn't cut these employees out just because the OS is no longer the most popular.