New BlackBerry could spur mobile apps says eAccess

A new souped up BlackBerry could usher in a new wave of applications for mobile workers, solution providers say.

Available later this month, the BlackBerry 8700c from Research In Motion (RIM) offers substantial improvements in memory, voice quality, network speed and processing power.

“The processor improvement has been long overdue, because the 386-based BlackBerry processor has a tough time with any substantial application,” says David Bean, president of eAccess Solutions, a BlackBerry solution provider in Illinois, US.

The more powerful processor will foster development of more applications for workers in the field, said John Heinz, president of ATSG, another US-based solution provider. For example, a doctor could use RIM’s new BlackBerry to access a subscription-based drug interaction guide to consult while in the field or in emergency situations, Heinz says.

The BlackBerry 8700c operates on EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution) networks, which is not as fast as 3G, but does represent an upgrade from the slower GPRS networks that most BlackBerry devices use.

“EDGE enables more bandwidth-intensive applications such as ERP and CRM, where there is a lot of data being pushed down to the device,” Bean says.

One of the problems with keyboard-based mobiles has been their lackluster telephone capability, Bean says. That’s why he’s impressed with the new BlackBerry’s built-in speakerphone and improved voice quality. “This device is really going to help us converge enterprise customers into one device for voice and data.”

Although the technological improvements that come with the BlackBerry 8700c will improve the user experience, Surya Jayaweera, CEO of Wolfetech Development, a BlackBerry solution provider in California, doesn’t believe that technology is what’s driving mobile application development. “What is changing is that as more and more people lower down on the corporate pyramid get BlackBerries, it becomes more advantageous for us to create wireless applications,” Jayaweera says.

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