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New BlackBerry could spur mobile apps Kevin McLaughlin, CRN, 7-Nov-2005
The BlackBerry 8700c has a more powerful processor,
as well as improved memory and network speed.
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.
