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Enterprise developers have embraced the new BlackBerry 10 platform – in fact, we recently announced that BlackBerry 10 now offers more than 100,000 applications. Amazon Kindle, OpenTable and The Wall Street Journal are available to BlackBerry 10 customers and in the coming weeks CNN, The Daily Show Headlines, eBay, eMusic, Maxim, MLB at Bat, MTV News, Pageonce, PGA, Rdio, Skype, SoundHound and Viber will be available for download or purchase.

At the BlackBerry Experience Forum, companies like SAP, Citrix, IBM and CISCO and many more, were in attendance to connect with many of the enterprise business leaders and IT decision-makers to showcase how their powerful apps can enable business innovations and empower mobile employees.

According to Adam Linford from Truphone, “If you are a mobile application developer and you’re looking to bring BlackBerry 10 into your existing portfolio, it’s so cheap and easy to add.” Adam also remarked that, “BlackBerry made some very sensible decisions in adopting technologies that are known – you are building on the shoulder of giants, a lot of the work is already done.”

Howard Travers from the Formicary Collaboration Group commented, “We’re pleased to work with the BlackBerry 10 application – we see it as a next step and evolution of mobile collaboration.” When asked about how the BlackBerry 10 platform enables enterprise customers to balance both work and personal data, Howard stated, “One of the biggest asks of all our top customers around the globe is the separation of personal and business. The fact that BlackBerry has now been able to merge the two is a great step forward.”

The BlackBerry 10 platform has empowered global businesses to embrace enterprise applications that enhance productivity, increase collaboration and connect their mobile employees with the important resources they need on the road.

Have you personally tried any of the apps mentioned in this blog post? Any app developers or partners you would like to see us connect with in the future? Let us know by commenting below!

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Momentum for BlackBerry 10 and BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 continues to build as the BlackBerry Experience Forum (BEF) adds more stops to its international tour. Connecting with well-known Fortune 500 customers, IT decision-makers, and developers has made this whirlwind experience undeniably worthwhile. The BlackBerry 10 platform has received note-worthy acclaim in many international markets. These BEF events provide attendees with valuable hands-on time not only with the BlackBerry Z10 and BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10, but also 1:1 time with the BlackBerry executive team. Rob Orr, BlackBerry Managing Director for the UK, kicked off the day’s activities with an engaging keynote session which invited BlackBerry customers on stage to demonstrate how they use BlackBerry technology to power mobile innovation. Customers on stage commented that the BlackBerry solution has been not only fun to use but also efficient, scalable, and beneficial for their global workforce.

Many attendees came away with a newfound appreciation for the powerful BlackBerry 10 platform, especially the BlackBerry Balance functionality that many enterprise customers have already been taking advantage of in the UK market. “We’ve come to the event today to learn more about BlackBerry 10 and find more information about how the developments have been taking off,” said Drew Evans from Aneurin Bevan Health Board. The Health Board employs over 13,000 staff, two thirds of whom are involved in direct patient care (nurses, midwives, allied professionals, and community workers). The fully booked event featured customer presentations from large organizations, and keynote participation from public sector BlackBerry customer Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust (BSMHFT), which announced a deployment of 1,800 BlackBerry Z10 smartphones across their organization.

According to Gavin Clements from MBDA, a world leader in missiles and missile systems, with 10,000 employees at industrial facilities in France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Spain, and the United States, “BlackBerry is the only CESG approved device for email traffic – there is only one email solution.” This CESG approval allows government employees access to classified data up to and including “Restricted.”

Enterprise customers participated in breakout sessions focused on educating IT decision-makers on how the BlackBerry 10 platform and BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 can easily deploy, manage, secure, and control BYOD and corporate devices to empower employees. More than 100 UK public and private sector organizations are currently trialing BlackBerry 10. Organizations include BT, Centrica, Aviva, The Co-Operative Group and University Hospital Birmingham. Jon Mooney from Aviva added, “No other device can really give us the kind of integrity and management of a handset that BlackBerry Enterprise Service can already offer us.” Aviva provides over 43 million customers with insurance, savings, and investment products, and is one of Europe’s leading providers of life and general insurance.

Vivek Bhardwaj, Head of the BlackBerry Software Portfolio and often recognized for his expert BlackBerry 10 hands-on demo’s was also in attendance to show his support for BlackBerry enterprise customers. Vivek remarked that, “it’s great to be here today and see so many enterprise people so focused on BlackBerry 10.”

The energy continues as the BlackBerry Experience Forum continues its world-tour to Dubai, Sydney, Paris, Frankfurt, Johannesburg, and New Delhi. To learn more, visit www.blackberryexperienceforum.com.

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

The recent BlackBerry Experience Forum in New York City hosted a number of well-known app developers who showcased their innovations to a crowded room of attendees. “We have a number of developers in attendance who have blended together the enterprise and consumer sides of their applications to give our BlackBerry customers a great experience on the new BlackBerry 10 platform,” said John Mutter, Senior Manager of Enterprise Developer Partnerships.

Well-known enterprise developers shared the keynote stage with the BlackBerry leadership team to show the audience how their apps can help enhance business productivity, cost-savings, and organizational efficiencies. One of the keynote speakers was Meaghan Reinecke from Macadamian Technologies. Meaghan mentioned that “the BlackBerry Experience Forum is an excellent opportunity for Macadamian to be able to talk about the different services we can provide. We help our customers make excellent products by understanding that beautiful spot where business requirements meet the user experience, and where design meets powerful technology…right in the middle is where the magic happens!”

A number of partners also made announcements at the BlackBerry Experience Forum in New York City. NoteSmartly, a productivity platform, unveiled their official app on the BlackBerry Z10. CEO of NoteSmartly, Amit Kanodia commented, “We got an awesome integration experience with the BlackBerry 10 OS. The teams at BlackBerry were so helpful in getting our app up and running.” Similarly, Vishal Patel from IBM Mobile Technical Sales noted, “Working with BlackBerry has been excellent. IBM is now selling a new mobility platform which helps developers build and target applications for the BlackBerry platform.”

The app developer ecosystem is thriving at BlackBerry. Come and see for yourself as the BlackBerry Experience Forum continues its world tour. Register for an event near you today.

With BlackBerry 10 launching soon in the United States, the opportunities to get hands-on time with the new platform as well as speak to executives about secure connectivity, BlackBerry Balance technology, partner applications and opportunities in the BYOD space were particularly well received. Attendees were also keen to learn more about BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10, and how it can help with enterprise device management, security, and app management for BlackBerry, iOS, and Android devices.

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Throughout the day’s activities, breakout sessions were also offered for attendees interested in device management, security, applications, unified communications, and collaboration.

To learn more about the BlackBerry Experience Forum and tour stops coming to a city near you in Europe, the Middle East, Australia, South Africa and India, visit: www.blackberryexperienceforum.com

This 14-city global tour is already at full capacity in many Canadian cities, with the US tour stops filling up quickly. To hear from event participants and BlackBerry leaders alike, tune into the video below which captures some of the highlights.

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Featuring a keynote address from the most senior leaders at BlackBerry, on-stage testimonials from BlackBerry enterprise partners and a sneak-peek of the upcoming BlackBerry Q10, the Toronto BEF audience was eager to see first-hand the BlackBerry 10 benefits unique to the enterprise space. The BEF events also feature hands-on demo areas outfitted with the latest BlackBerry technology and a partner showcase zone staffed by well-known enterprise app developers.

Interested in participating in an upcoming BlackBerry Experience Forum? Don’t forget to sign up by visiting: www.blackberryexperienceforum.com. You can also join the conversation on Twitter, using the hashtag #BEF13.

There’s been a lot of buzz lately in the BlackBerry developer community – even before the global launch of BlackBerry 10 last week. We’re serious about supporting, enabling, and championing our developers, and to prove it we’ve run (and are still running) a whole series of events to help get everyone up and running.

BlackBerry 10 Jam World Tour

A series of full-day events, the BlackBerry Jam World Tour aimed to take the tools and information to you. With 30 stops on 5 continents, thousands of developers had the chance to get one-on-one time with the BlackBerry Developer Relations team, get informed on the BlackBerry 10 developer tools, and get a hold of BlackBerry Dev Alpha devices for testing.

BlackBerry 10 Jam World Tour – Enterprise Edition

A specialized version of the BlackBerry 10 Jam World Tour, these enterprise events catered specifically to corporate developers, governments, and those working on apps for business and productivity. They also provided a look at how IT administrators can deploy apps using BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10

BlackBerry Jam Conferences

BlackBerry Jam Americas, BlackBerry Jam Asia, and BlackBerry Jam Europe serve to hit key regions of the globe with big news, incredible sessions, experience centers, Jam spaces, and a whole lot more. BlackBerry and developers alike look forward to these immersive annual conferences.

BlackBerry Experience Forum

Kicking off this week are the BlackBerry Experience Forum events in 14 locations around the world up until March 2013. Designed for business decision makers, IT administrators, and enterprise developers, these events offer hands-on time with BlackBerry 10 and BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 as well as detailed keynotes and sessions.

As a result of this momentum, BlackBerry 10 launched with more apps than any brand new computing platform in history, and more are being added every single day. Included at launch are over 1,000 of the top global apps.

So Why is BlackBerry Developer Momentum Good for Businesses?

1. You get the tools that you need

   With such a large number of apps at launch, the BlackBerry 10 platform can help provide what your business needs, including apps like SAP, Cisco WebEx Meetings, SalesNOW for CRM data management, and more.

2. You can leverage existing investments

   Many businesses are already using BlackBerry Enterprise Server and services like the aforementioned SAP. Keep what you’ve got and introduce straightforward upgrades to get your employees mobile with BlackBerry 10 and work applications for increased productivity. There’s no need to re-invent the wheel or drop your current licensing of common business software and services. And when it comes to BES 5 licenses, we’ve got a one-for-one trade-up program to get you rolling with BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10.

3. It means that there are a lot more apps to come

   A thriving developer community means a thriving app ecosystem. New apps are being added to BlackBerry World everyday – sometimes by the thousands. If you’re ready to be surprised by new ideas and tools, the options are widening every day.

4. A strong future for BlackBerry

   A healthy developer community behind a new platform lends stability and paints a very bright future. Hundreds of thousands of businesses use BlackBerry, and many do so on a major scale with significant investments. You can be confident that it will continue to provide benefits and that BlackBerry 10 holds rich apps for you to take advantage of.

5. It helps bring BlackBerry Balance to life

   We’re big fans of BlackBerry Balance and the separation of work and personal data. With the BlackBerry developer community pumping out fantastic apps for both work and play, you’re able to find apps that improve your business, and your employees are able to find apps that provide a delightful experience. Best of all, you can manage and deploy them using BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10.

What have we missed? Share your thoughts on how the momentum in the BlackBerry developer community is good for businesses in the comments below.

With the upcoming launch event for BlackBerry 10 on January 30th, we are going on a BlackBerry 10 world tour, specifically aimed to connect with enterprise developers and business decision-makers. The BlackBerry Experience Forum (BEF) events are 14 full-day sessions where we’ll uncover how to make the most of every business opportunity with the BlackBerry smartphone powered by BlackBerry 10, designed to be smarter and faster.

Building on the success of the 2012 BlackBerry Jam World Tour – Enterprise Edition, we’ve added a specific enterprise developer track to the BlackBerry Experience Forum to make sure we get the opportunity to connect with our vibrant enterprise developer community.

At the BlackBerry Experience Forum, you will learn how to benefit from one of the strongest platforms for business professionals. By taking advantage of the unique BlackBerry infrastructure, impressive technology is available – right at your fingertips – to use behind the firewall connectivity to push critical data and confirm delivery and acknowledgment. This capability has been designed to enable fast business decision-making. With BlackBerry 10, developers can take advantage of the innovative BlackBerry Hub functionality, where all key information is displayed in one central location. BlackBerry also offers standards based development and full enterprise grade management to deploy, upgrade and host your applications.

At BlackBerry, we understand the importance of security. We are also committed to supporting the development of enterprise-grade mobile apps. The BlackBerry Experience Forum is a prime opportunity to learn how to increase your productivity, manage your work flow and keep your executives up to date on key data points that can change how you do business.

After attending the BlackBerry Experience Forum, we are committed to having our enterprise developers walk away with sample applications – ready for you to use to get building your first app! We’ll also provide expert guidance on the right path for your applications to follow and show you how to take advantage of what’s already built in to our developer ecosystem. BlackBerry is committed to making the app development process a worthwhile experience.

Join us on our BlackBerry Experience Forum world tour – see for yourself how BlackBerry is the right tool to bring the solutions you’ve been looking for to your business.

If you have any questions about the BlackBerry Experience Forum, our enterprise developer ecosystem or how to get involved in BlackBerry development, please let us know by commenting below!

Since you’re a reader of the Inside BlackBerry for Business Blog, you’ve likely already heard quite a bit about the upcoming BlackBerry 10 platform as well as BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 for enterprise mobility management. But that’s not enough – we want you to get hands-on experience with these solutions to really dig in and build your understanding of the impact that they can have on your business.

We’re pleased to announce that the BlackBerry Experience Forum will be kicking off in early February. These one-day events will provide an immersive and hands-on experience with solutions that tackle the challenge of finding the perfect balance between end user and corporate needs. We’re looking to demonstrate the power of the BlackBerry 10 platform in delivering flexible device management and airtight security with business apps that allow end users to easily get their work done on the go.

14 Events Globally

Hear from RIM executives and guest speakers, participate in interactive breakout sessions for business decision makers, IT decision makers, or enterprise developers, and check out a partner showcase to explore applications and value added solutions from developers, carriers, and solution providers. Not only will you learn about how BlackBerry 10 and BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 can solve your mobility challenges, you’ll also come away with tips and tricks on how to turbo-charge personal productivity with BlackBerry 10.

There are 14 events taking place across the globe. Head over to www.blackberryexperienceforum.com to register and to learn more about the events taking place near you.