According to Ars Technica, the Windows Mobile world is getting a new player, thanks to a decision by Research in Motion (RIM) to launch a suite of Blackberry applications that can run on WinMo devices. Although the announcement does not include plans to manufacture Windows Mobile smartphones, certainly the software foray into the Windows Mobile world is highly suggestive.

RIM has traditionally been a wireless pager and feature phone manufacturer, creating messaging devices with its own proprietary operating system. The company has not produced a fully featured smartphone with complete Treo-like capabilities. However, Windows Mobile 6 is designed for competitive hardware, and has attracted a substantial third party developer following. Even Palm has based a meaningful portion of its business model on the operating system.

Because the Blackberry suite of applications for Windows Mobile may require users to sign up for Blackberry data service with cellular service providers, the company stands to benefit from data plan activations. According to RIM, the software suite will contain a substantial offering of their proprietary applications: “BlackBerry e-mail, phone, calendar, address book, tasks, memos, browser, instant messaging and other applications.”

Related Links

Ars Technica Article

Windows Mobile Store

Treo Smartphone Store

RIM Press Release

Filed under: Treo and Palm news