Mobile Computing is at risk of becoming the buzz-word of the year, but no one seems to be exactly clear on what it is and more importantly what it means for consumers, enterprises, carriers, partners, and anyone involved in the mobile ecosystem. There’s an incredible opportunity for this space to be defined, and today we’re introducing a solution that begins to do just that.

Here at the Telematics Detroit Conference, we’ve unveiled a solution for automakers that lets them easily manage and securely download software updates to a vehicle. The Software Update Management for Automotive service leverages BlackBerry’s global, secure infrastructure.

Vehicles hold a lot of digital information needed to operate efficiently, and come with sophisticated in-vehicle infotainment systems, apps, media centers, and more. Automakers want to be able to deliver software updates that can offer new, compelling capabilities to their customers, long after the initial sale. With vehicles becoming connected end points, the opportunity is wireless. A secure connection to end points such as this, enabled by BlackBerry technology, will help automakers connect with customers and allow them to bring new features, and potentially diagnose problems remotely.

The development of OTA services is part of BlackBerry’s broader mobile computing strategy. BlackBerry is providing the foundation for a new era of mobile computing by connecting mobile end points securely and creating opportunities for community building, connecting, and sharing.

Personally, I couldn’t be more excited by where this is all going. I’ve become convinced of a very bright future in the form of mobile computing and dramatically increased connectivity to the devices and machines that we use.

To learn more about the BlackBerry solution demonstrated at the Telematics Detroit Conference, head over to www.blackberry.com/m2m.

Use your imagination! What would you like to see in the future of connected end points that would make your life easier, safer, or more enjoyable? Share in the comments below.

Woohoo! For all you social media fiends out there, we’re keeping the updates flowing. Both the Twitter and LinkedIn apps will be receiving an update for BlackBerry 10 smartphones today. The apps will be available for free download in the BlackBerry World storefront. These enhanced apps make it easier than ever to stay connected and do more with your social and professional contacts, while on the go.

I’m sure you can’t wait to check out some of the new features and enhancements you can look forward to when you pick them up. Check out all the details below.

New Features for Twitter version 10.0.3/10.1.3

• Enjoy more content with Universal Search –See more content when you’re searching. You’ll be able to view related profiles, tweets and top tweets, photos and relevant searches all on one page.
• Always Fresh Content – Content that is always fresh and up to date. Automatic caching gives you the current information at your fingertips without having to manually refresh your tabs.

New Features for LinkedIn version 10.0.3/10.1.3

• Find your current contacts on LinkedIn: With the latest update, you can import the personal address book from your BlackBerry 10 device to LinkedIn, making it easier to view and connect to your contacts on LinkedIn.
• UI improvements: We’ve updated the overall design of the LinkedIn application for BlackBerry 10 to improve the user experience. These updates include improved visual styling, better pull down functionalities for refreshes, touch down feedback on clicking list items, and more.
• Follow and learn about companies :An important element of LinkedIn is the ability to connect to companies and subscribe for company related updates and content. The latest version of LinkedIn for BlackBerry 10 allows you to view information about the companies you follow in greater detail, such as:
• How you’re connected
• About
• Jobs
• Similar Companies
• News & Updates
• Other Updates: We’ve made quite a few additional updates to LinkedIn for BlackBerry 10. These include inbox enhancements, deleting and archiving messages, people search improvements, and the ability to update your profile photo from within the app. To get all the details, visit the official app page on the BlackBerry World application storefront.

Do these updates have your mouth watering? Download them now on BlackBerry World: Twitter v10.0.3/10.1.3 and LinkedIn v10.0.3/10.1.3 and let us know what you’re most excited for in the comments below.

Please note the apps may take up to 24 hours to appear in BlackBerry World storefront.

Back in February we asked you how you use your BlackBerry smartphone for business. The results are in and it’s clear that BlackBerry Messenger is a favorite feature for staying connected and keeping in touch with colleagues while on the go.

With BBM for BlackBerry 10, keeping in touch is easier than ever, and now you can video chat and screen share over BlackBerry Messenger. Screen sharing allows you to collaborate with colleagues while away from the office and BBM video allows you to stay connected with friends and family while you’re travelling.

Check out the video below for even more ways to use screen sharing over BBM and video chat:

[YouTube link for mobile viewing]

Do you use video chat and screen share to stay in touch with colleagues? Tell us about your experience in the comments below!

This year’s BlackBerry Live will give you our most mobile conference experience yet. We have some very exciting news: conference attendees will receive a BlackBerry Z10 smartphone, courtesy of Brightstar, our premier mobile sponsor!

Your BlackBerry Z10 smartphone will be a valuable tool throughout BlackBerry Live. The Mobile Conference Guide application has been designed to leverage features unique to BlackBerry 10, making it easy for you to:

• Build and edit your conference schedule in the Session Catalog while on the go
• Scan into breakout sessions using NFC functionality
• Interact with sponsors
• Complete conference surveys
• Much more

Quantities are limited, so register for BlackBerry Live today! To learn more about Brightstar, head over to www.brightstarcorp.com.

We initially unveiled the BlackBerry Q10 smartphone during the BlackBerry 10 global launch events on January 30th, and since then there’s been no shortage of excitement for its availability – particularly within our business social media communities. This powerhouse of a smartphone packs a serious punch with new features for both the hardware and for the BlackBerry 10 platform.

The beautiful design of the BlackBerry Q10 deserves specific mention. This latest BlackBerry 10 smartphone features a glass weave casing, a forged stainless steel frame, and a Super AMOLED touch screen – not to mention a sculpted keyboard designed to improve your typing speed, skill, and experience. It’s an evolution of the classic BlackBerry Keyboard that brings the mobile typing experience to a whole new level. Get an exclusive inside look at how the BlackBerry Q10 smartphone was designed on the Inside BlackBerry Blog.

Powered by BlackBerry 10, the BlackBerry Q10 learns and adapts to the way that you work and communicate. Every feature, every gesture, and every detail is designed to keep you moving. I’ve been using this smartphone for a couple of months now and I must say: the amount of emails left in my inbox for follow up back at my desk has been reduced to almost zero.

Features of the BlackBerry Q10 Smartphone

Features of the BlackBerry Q10 smartphone include an intelligent calendar, super-fast browsing, trusted security, camera with time shift mode, documents to go and adobe reader, built-in NFC technology, active frames, voice control, BlackBerry Maps, and a whole lot more. Check out the video below for an overview of the features included with the new BlackBerry Q10 smartphone straight from the product team that’s been hard at work designing the newest member of the BlackBerry 10 family. For a more in-depth look, visit the BlackBerry Q10 web site.

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

Instant Action – your new best friend on the go

My favorite feature of the BlackBerry Q10 is “Instant Action”, which takes advantage of the physical keyboard to allow you to engage with your network of contacts extremely quickly. From the home screen of a BlackBerry Q10 smartphone, simply begin typing an action, such as “email” or “BBM”, followed with a name from your Contacts. You can then launch directly into the communication. This isn’t restricted to email; I just sent a tweet from my home screen by typing “tweet This weather is brutal! Where did Spring go?” – and it was immediately posted to Twitter without the need to even open up an application. Check out a quick demo from BlackBerry Jam Europe below:

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

Combined with the intuitive gestures of the BlackBerry 10 platform, Instant Action provides you with a speed and efficiency that’s unparalleled in my experience. With this functionality the use of a physical keyboard is maximized to provide you with ultimate control and precision of action.

Availability and Pricing

Carriers around the world are beginning to roll out pre-orders as well as full availability of BlackBerry Q10 smartphones. To stay up to date on the latest news, check out our BlackBerry Q10 Global Availability Tracker on the Inside BlackBerry Blog.

What feature of the BlackBerry Q10 are you most excited for? Share in the comments below!

Occupation: Partner, Vieu Health

Twitter Account: @justen

Favourite BlackBerry LinkedIn Group:BlackBerry for Business, of course!

Tell us a bit about yourself! (background, education, family, etc)

I started Vieu Health back in 2008, after I left Kaiser Permanente. There’s such an incredible opportunity to help improve healthcare delivery and outcomes through smarter systems…I guess I’ve just about always been a geek, but seeing the potential for technology to help improve health was a bit of a turning point for me. I didn’t grow up knowing that I wanted to be a healthcare information technology geek someday, but seeing those opportunities and that potential made me realize that this is what I wanted to be able to do.

Why are you a #TeamBlackBerry fan?

I’ve been a #TeamBlackBerry fan for a long time, and I honestly can’t tell you how many times my BlackBerry has been there, helping me get something done or get the information I need. My BlackBerry helps me stay in touch with friends and family, colleagues and partners — and with integrated communication and social feeds now linked to every contact from the BlackBerry Hub and the calendar, it’s simple to stay up-to-date and easily pick back up where I left off, no matter what the channel (email, text, BlackBerry Messenger, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, you name it). When something becomes such an indispensable tool for your personal and professional life, it’s easy to be a fan. But I think pretty much all of us BlackBerry fans really are evangelists, because we know how incredible the BlackBerry experience is, and we want to share that experience!

What’s your favorite BlackBerry app?

It’s really tough to narrow it down, there are so many incredible apps launching every day for BlackBerry 10. I have quickly become a huge fan of BlackBerry Remember, which integrates perfectly with Evernote. Authomator, a really well-designed two-factor authentication app, has also quickly become a must-have for me. And, I really have to mention the awesome new BBM and the new native WhatsApp…Video, voice, and cross-platform? Yup!

How do you use your BlackBerry smartphone and PlayBook tablet for work?

It’s probably easier to just point out that it’d be tough to nothave my BlackBerry and PlayBook. I’m almost always heading somewhere, so having my PlayBook with the Bluetooth Mini Keyboard and Docs To Go is always a lifesaver when I need to get something created, edited, or wrapped-up inflight. As for my BlackBerry, it’s hard to think about life before BlackBerry Hub…It makes perfect sense from the get-go, and it makes keeping up with everything a heck of a lot simpler.

What picture is your current BlackBerry wallpaper (and why!)?

On my BlackBerry, it’s a photo from l’heure bleue in Old Montréal. On my PlayBook, it’s a shot of the mountains from Snowshoe, West Virginia, not too far from where I grew up. Two of the most beautiful places in the world…It’s nice to have them there reminding me, even when I’m away.

What’s your favourite BlackBerry smartphone model, and why?

I absolutely love my BlackBerry Z10. Everything just works beautifully. The new full-touch keyboard experience is leaps and bounds better than any other touchscreen typing experience out there. The apps I need and want are here on BlackBerry 10, and the new peek and flow user experience makes so much more sense than constantly having to open and close apps…And it’s great seeing new apps in BlackBerry World every day. The BlackBerry Z10 is absolutely the best BlackBerry yet — not to mention the best smartphone yet, period — and it’s backed by software that really exceeded any and all of my expectations for a new, modern mobile computing platform.

If a friend were in the market for a new smartphone or tablet, what would you say to convince them to join the BlackBerry family?

Try it out! It was love at first sight for me…I was just at HIMSS13 in New Orleans, and a lot of folks recognized the BlackBerry Z10. It was pretty fun giving guided BlackBerry 10 tours to, in some cases, folks I’d never even met before! Seeing BlackBerry 10 through the eyes of people who are used to other platforms was also pretty telling… After someone spends a few moments with BlackBerry 10, you’ll hear a lot of “Wow, I wish my phone did that!” and “Oh, that makes so much more sense than how my current phone handles that!” But BlackBerry Hub, combined with the effortlessness of the new keyboard experience — those two seem to be what usually seals the deal. So I don’t normally have to say much at all to convince folks to join the BlackBerry family, I usually just let them try it out for themselves…BlackBerry 10 does the convincing itself!

What are the “Top 5” things you keep in your purse/briefcase/backpack at all times?

My BlackBerry Z10 is always either in my hand or on my belt, but my BlackBerry PlayBook with the Mini Keyboard is always in my bag. If I’m going to be away for more than a day, I’ll also pack the BlackBerry Z10 Battery Charger Bundle, which really comes in handy on redeye flight days. When I’m travelling, I’ll also load up my BlackBerry Z10 with some new music either through BlackBerry Link from my MacBook or from the music storefront in BlackBerry World, and I always pack a comfortable pair of earphones. And not sure if it counts since it’s only virtually in my bag, but I usually try to have a good book to read, downloaded from the Kobo app on my PlayBook.

What are some of your favourite blogs and websites that you visit often?

As a BlackBerry addict, you know CrackBerry is on my list, as is the Inside BlackBerry for Business Blog. I’m a gadget geek at heart, so Engadget and MobileSyrup are usually an open tab for me, too. And in my field, HIStalk is where you go when you really want to know what’s really happening; it’s sometimes a bit irreverent, but it’s always smart, insightful, and to-the-point.

Any interesting facts people would be surprised to know about you?

I guess I’m fairly boring from an interesting facts perspective…I did leave high school early, to start college. My first major, at Marshall University, was journalism. I have always been fascinated by folks and their stories, their lives, their endeavors, the challenges folks sometimes have to overcome… So journalism made sense. When I moved to Montréal, to study at Concordia University, I ended up studying commerce. The idea of starting a company, creating something from scratch, doing something really well, and hopefully doing something good… That made a lot of sense to me, too. I don’t know how unusual it is to go from journalism to commerce or vice versa, but I think the listening (and understanding!) parts combined with the creating (and planning!) parts were pretty invaluable once it dawned on me how well they fit together.

At the heart of today’s enterprise mobility landscape is a tension between increasing employee demands and increasing security risks. Businesses face growing pressure from employees to provide or allow competitive devices that feature the latest technology available. At the same time, the reality of security threats and the need for consistent functionality creates a legitimate concern for IT departments.

BlackBerry 10 introduces a new mobile platform that both IT administrators and business users can get excited about. Built on our powerful QNX foundation, BlackBerry 10 delivers the right combination of a powerful user experience along with a secure and manageable mobile environment. Let’s take a look at a few of the reasons why BlackBerry 10 is built for business.

The Powerful Foundation of QNX Technology

Whether or not you realize it, you’ve probably already used technology powered by QNX software in your day-to-day life. When you flip on a light switch, change TV channels, or sign on to Twitter, you are using a process that involves a QNX-controlled system. QNX has built a reputation in the embedded systems market for reliability and precision, powering everything from wind turbines to high-speed trains to tens of millions of in-vehicle infotainment systems worldwide.

The BlackBerry 10 platform brings the power of QNX technology to individual customers. It uses the microkernel architecture of the QNX Neutrino Real-Time OS to maximize operational efficiency with industry-leading reliability, scalability, and speed. Technical I know, but think of it this way; QNX is one of the most efficient platforms in existence for distributing and handling its power in real time.

QNX is hard at work envisioning a bright future of embedded technology. Check out the video below for an imagined look at a car of the future. Would you drive this? (I sure would!)

A Design that’s Built for Maximum Productivity

BlackBerry’s powerful QNX foundation is matched with an equally powerful new user experience designed to increase business productivity. BlackBerry Flow, Hub and Peek make up the core of the new BlackBerry 10 interface, which is built on a series of simple gestures for intuitive navigation. We’ve thought about what’s natural, where your hand is positioned when holding the device, and much more in order to provide the smoothest and most functional experience possible. In particular, the BlackBerry Hub simplifies everyday communication by aggregating all incoming messages, notifications, feeds, and calendar events. Take a closer look:

Combined with its powerful engine under the hood, the BlackBerry 10 interface delivers the ultimate end user experience and a device that your employees can be proud to call their own.

A Legacy of World-Class Security

While it represents a redesigned platform, BlackBerry 10 is also built on the philosophy that a powerful mobile experience must still come within the context of a secure environment. BlackBerry has received more security accreditations globally than any other wireless solution, and BlackBerry 10 represents a renewal of that long-standing commitment to security.

Months before launch, BlackBerry 10 and BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 received FIPS 140-2 certification from the U.S. and Canadian governments. This certification ensures that BlackBerry 10 is built to meet the strict security of government agencies, enterprises, and small business alike. With BlackBerry 10, IT managers can provide employees with cutting edge devices with the assurance that company information will be kept safe and secure.

Device Management for a BYOD World

BlackBerry Balance provides a separation of work and personal data, providing the ultimate mix of freedom and functionality. IT administrators can control, secure, and manage the work perimeter, but on the personal side, it’s yours to do with as you please. Take photos during your weekend adventures, download apps, and stream media. On the same device, access your files on work network drives, manage corporate email, and browse your office intranet.

An example of BlackBerry Balance in action can be found in the BlackBerry Hub. While you can access the work and personal perimeter of the smartphone separately, the Hub combines all of your messages into one convenience location – be they work or personal accounts. Your active frames of currently running applications can also contain both work and personal apps. When you switch from one space to the other, there’s no need to close apps or lose your work.

BlackBerry for Business and Beyond

With BlackBerry 10, businesses can fully harness the power of mobile technology, but remain within the context of data security. Built on a framework of mobile computing, we believe the BlackBerry 10 platform is the foundation for mobility and innovation in the business of the future.

Is your business already using BlackBerry 10? We’d love to hear insights on your experience with the BlackBerry 10 platform.

Name: Stephen deRusett

Occupation: Sales

Twitter Account: @StephenBB81

Tell us a bit about yourself!

I’m 31 years old and married with two kids aged three and two. I attended Lakehead University for Software & Electrical Engineering, and wrestling (a sport I’m still involved in today as much as possible). I’m a first generation Canadian, both my parents are British born, though they met here.

I like trying new beers, wines and ciders. Whenever the opportunity arises, if I find a meal at a restaurant I enjoy, I go home and try to recreate it and add my own touches. My wife says I like shiny things and blinking lights which I guess draws me to my BlackBerry!

Why are you a #TeamBlackBerry fan?

I’m a #TeamBlackBerry fan because of the community. When I was first given a BlackBerry in 2008 (a BlackBerry Curve 8330), I didn’t want it. I went to the Internet to find all that was wrong with it so I would tell my employer to take it back. The community and the device proved to be amazing and helpful. I ended up purchasing my first personal BlackBerry Tour on July 9th 2009.

What’s your favorite BlackBerry app?

I really don’t have a “favorite app” – I’m not an app junky. I like BlackBerry Travel, BBM and Twitter. But, if I was to be asked about my favourite BlackBerry 10 features, I would say the universal message box, now dubbed the “BlackBerry Hub” on BlackBerry 10 and autotext/word substitution.

How do you use your BlackBerry smartphone and BlackBerry PlayBook tablet for work?

I work out of my car traveling around Ontario. Every day I log what I am doing in memo pad and then email it off to my assistant to be entered into our call reporting software. Autotext is also a life saver. I often email one of three large paragraphs out of a feature list. Using the autotext feature, I can generate a few hundred words in seconds. I also often use my BlackBerry PlayBook tablet to bridge to my BlackBerry 9900. I use “open on PlayBook” to view new flyers that I am sent to critique, instead of waiting until I can boot up one of my laptops

What picture is your current BlackBerry wallpaper, and why?

My BlackBerry 9900 wallpaper is this fan created BlackBerry wallpaper I just love it, I like the dark theme (mind you I don’t spend much time ever seeing the wallpaper!).

My BlackBerry Z10 wallpaper is the first picture I took with my Z10 on Jan 30th – I just thought it looked cool!

What’s your favorite BlackBerry smartphone model, and why?

This is HARD to say, but I think the BlackBerry Bold 9790 is my favorite all time model. I have to give honorable mention to the BlackBerry 8330, that device was a beast and just kept going and going and was comfortable to type on.

If a friend were in the market for a new smartphone and/or tablet, what would you say to convince them to join the BlackBerry family?

I always show BlackBerry Messenger and the universal message box. I talk about autotext and with BlackBerry 7 and earlier devices BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) is a BIG conversation point, especially as Canadians we tend to leave our own country to travel and compression is a big dollar saver. The beauty of BlackBerry is you aren’t forced into one form factor, people can choose the BlackBerry Pearl, the BlackBerry Bold, the BlackBerry Torch or the BlackBerry Z10. You have a full range because one phone isn’t right for everyone – heck I carry 2 or 3 phones at any given time!

What are the “Top 5” things you keep in your briefcase or backpack at all times?

• MyChargePeak6000 – Battery pack with enough juice to charge all my phones/tablets when away from a power outlet
• GridIT – a grid board I use to hold 4-6 various cables, a mouse, business cards, etc
• Laptop – either my Lenovo T520 or X220 (sometimes both)
• BlackBerry PlayBook – Before I got the BlackBerry Z10 my PlayBook lived in my pocket, now it lives in my laptop bag
• Product information folder- I always have product information with me – vacation or working- you never know when an opportunity will present itself!

What are some of your favorite blogs and websites that you visit often?

I visit N4BB, Seeking Alpha, LinkedIn, LibriVox and Huffington Post. I also visit the various Inside BlackBerry blogs (Inside BlackBerry for Business, Inside BlackBerry Developers and Inside BlackBerry Help) and spend a lot of time on Twitter!

Any interesting facts people would be surprised to know about you?

I’m a foodie who loves trying new things, YET I also LOVE McDonalds. Those two things don’t usually go together, but I could eat McDonalds every day – and, for a month in University I DID!

Also, I’m a sales guy who doesn’t like golf. If I can find a way to NOT go golfing I will. The only golf course I’ve played a full round on has been Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina.

Thanks for joining us Stephen!

Did you know that both VISA and MasterCard have certified BlackBerry smartphones with NFC capabilities to be used for mobile payments?

Over the last couple of years, NFC technology has become increasingly popular in smartphones. Recent blog posts on the Inside BlackBerry for Business blog have shown that NFC-enabled devices can be used for a wide range of tasks, including access to your workplace and paying for your morning coffee. NFC has enabled many of us to see our BlackBerry smartphone as not only an important communications tool, but also as an efficient, contactless payment tool. When considering the use of a smartphone for mobile payments security is a major factor.

If you’re interested in learning more about some of the security features embedded in your BlackBerry smartphone when using it as a mobile payment solution, here are the details – straight from the BlackBerry experts!

According to our BlackBerry Security Certification Manager, Nayef Khan, “One major concern customers have when making mobile payments is security. A lot of focus in the mobile industry is put on the security of the “payment tap” process and overall device security. However, what’s often overlooked is how a credit card’s information travels directly to a smartphone, and how that overall data transmission process is secured.” In the NFC industry the systems that get your credit card data securely onto the device are called Trusted Service Managers (TSM). They are a key part of making NFC payments secure. BlackBerry is actively working on TSM functionality. The certification of BlackBerry as a VISA approved Trusted Service Manager (TSM) proves that the world’s top banking organizations recognize the high level of BlackBerry security standards.

So what are Trusted Service Managers (TSMs)?

A TSM is a cloud-based service that creates a secure communication channel between your NFC-enabled smartphone and the financial institution’s payment tool. The BlackBerry solution is designed to create a secure location within a ,secure container called a “Secure Element.” This secure storage area on an NFC-enabled smartphone enables financial institutions to store the sensitive payment information directly within the smartphone.

Our implementation of the TSM is known in the mobile payments industry as a “Secure Element Manager” (SEM). The SEM is responsible for managing space on a Secure Element. SEM also grants access to this secure space to mobile network operators or issuers of credit cards (know as Service Provider TSM or SP-TSM). Through the infrastructure that our SEM provides, SP-TSMs will have a single secure gateway allowing them to support any customer with an NFC-enabled smartphone that wants to enable a “mobile wallet” application. While the provisioning of credit card information is left to the SP-TSMs, the SEM allows for them to make a secure connection to the Secure Element. This arrangement also makes our solution highly scalable – new issuers can be on-boarded quickly.

Can you clarify what a secure element is, exactly?

As an analogy, think of the Secure Element as an apartment building. The manager of the apartment building (BlackBerry) allows each individual apartment (location for issuers and application providers) to be unlocked by a unique key. New tenants (issuers and application providers) can move in as soon as they are approved by the manager and provided with the key.

Visa’s approval of the BlackBerry SEM shows that we have been able to meet the rigorous standards that are expected in the financial industry. Over the years, BlackBerry has been associated with strong security and we are using our experience to build a secure foundation in this new domain.

Securing the “payment tap”

We have talked about how we secure the transmission and storage of sensitive information. In order to provide end-to-end security for a mobile payment transaction, the payment process also needs to be secure. Ever since BlackBerry launched NFC-capable smartphones, we have been working with the financial industry and credit card companies to certify our devices for use of mobile payments. The BlackBerry Curve 9360 and BlackBerry Bold 9900 were among the first smartphones to be certified by MasterCard and Visa for NFC-based mobile payments.

These certifications were granted on the basis of the BlackBerry smartphones meeting the functionality, interoperability and security requirements of MasterCard and Visa. The process includes extensive technical, security, and usability testing. This helps to ensure reliable and secure transactions which are compatible with the global standard for chip-enabled payments. With these certifications, any MasterCard PayPass or Visa payWave issuing bank globally will be able to deploy accounts to the SIM card of these smartphones.

Currently, all NFC-enabled BlackBerry devices in market have received the necessary payments certification. We have also done some great work with our brand new BlackBerry 10 platform. Looking at the device and back-end certifications in unison, BlackBerry is undeniably at the center of NFC innovation. The tools and security are available; we expect wireless carriers and financial institutions to pursue mobile payment solutions using BlackBerry smartphones in the near future – and some have already been implemented.

Is your business looking to make use of mobile payments? Does the TSM infrastructure alleviate some of your concerns regarding mobile payments? Share in the comments below.

(Shameless self-disclaimer: I’m a file hoarder of the worst sort. PowerPoint presentations on the enterprise road map from 2007? Still got ‘em. Press release from BlackBerry Pearl smartphone launch? In my media kit folder. Photos from my high school Euro-trip? Purple hair…what was I thinking?!)

Luckily for me, with BlackBerry 10, I now have access to my digital underworld of perfectly organized online file folders, spanning the far depths of my carefully curated folder collection.

Now that BlackBerry 10 has launched, we can officially spill the beans. Some of our favorite online file management and collaboration tools come not just pre-loaded, but deeply integrated into the BlackBerry 10 platform! With the graceful swipe of a fingertip, all BlackBerry 10 smartphone customers can now easily flow on over to a wide array of well-known and secure cloud storage and collaboration tools – Box and DropBox in particular.

With these tools, you can attach files from the cloud straight from the BlackBerry Hub, without needing to switch apps or leave your “compose” screen. There’s also the ability to press the “share” button (ie. when viewing a photo, file or video), and add that file directly into your cloud storage space. Using BlackBerry Balance, there is also the ability to see files from both your personal and work profile, if your work space is unlocked.

We’ve also designed it so that when you’re looking at content with File Manager, or when opening documents in Documents To Go, you can browse all of your cloud accounts too. Even your “recently used documents” include your latest cloud files!

For those who’ve already jumped on the cloud storage bandwagon – virtual high five! Points to you for your file-saving and sharing prowess. For those who have yet to experience the time-saving benefits, you are definitely going to appreciate why these tools have become so popular with the IT and business crowd. Using cloud storage apps like Box and DropBox means you can easily save, share and store files, all safely and securely in your own personal online file storage space. These tools allow you to virtually share your folders with friends, colleagues and business partners – no more need to exchange an old fashioned USB stick or be the culprit of sending the 20MB PowerPoint attachment that clogs up everyone’s inbox (queue collective sigh of relief).

At BlackBerry, we know our customers are powerful multi-taskers, always on the go with places to be and people to see. That’s why integrating cloud-based file sharing tools directly into our BlackBerry 10 platform was an easy decision. When drafting an email on your BlackBerry smartphone, having the ability to quickly flow over to your file management center and choose your file storage app of choice, is not only super convenient – but also a quick way to get stuff done. Through my testing of the file storage and sharing capabilities, I also quickly figured out that when drafting an email or document, all you have to do is click the attachment icon to add attachments – this happens instantly – straight from the cloud! Built on a core BlackBerry 10 cornerstone of removing the need for the old in-and-out paradigm, there was no need to switch between my file storage app and my email to add the attachment. Everything I needed to access to add my attachment was all at my fingertips by tapping the attachment icon!

I also prefer to travel without my laptop. With BlackBerry 10, I use cloud storage to simplify my life. By bringing my photos, docs, PowerPoints, spreadsheets and videos anywhere I go with my BlackBerry 10 smartphone, I can easily share my files wherever I am in the world. Last week, I was in a meeting and didn’t even need to bring my laptop to present a blog story idea to my colleagues. I was able to pull up my PowerPoint presentation via my cloud storage app of choice on my BlackBerry 10 smartphone. I quickly plugged in my micro HDMI cable, opened my cloud storage app and presented to everyone on our office projection screen – all from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone.

The possibilities are endless for staying organized with BlackBerry 10.

Have you tried out any of the file management apps mentioned in this blog post? If so, how has the experience been? Let me know by commenting below!