One of our goals for this year’s BlackBerry Live conference is to integrate mobile technology not just in the discussions, sessions, and resources – but into the actual conference itself to help keep attendees closely plugged into all of the action.

Near Field Communication (NFC)

One of my all-time favorite technologies, Near Field Communication (NFC) will be integrated into BlackBerry Live in a big way. You’ll be able to scan into BlackBerry Live and BlackBerry Jam sessions and interact with aspects of the venue using the BlackBerry Live Conference App, but that’s just the beginning. You’ll also be able to share contact information with sponsors, scoop up links to resources and web sites, and take advantage of all that BlackBerry 10 has to offer when it comes to NFC.

BlackBerry Live Conference App

Shortly before BlackBerry Live the Mobile Conference Guide app will be available in BlackBerry World for you to download. This will be your ultimate conference guide, including a wide range of features:

• Find sessions, speaker, sponsor, and event details
• Receive event update messages
• View the conference agenda and floor plan
• Build and edit your conference schedule
• Scan into sessions using Near Field Communication (NFC)
• Complete conference and session surveys
• Share your information with conference sponsors using NFC

It’s not too late to register for BlackBerry Live!

Head over to www.blackberrylive.com to register for this year’s conference, and don’t forget that if you’ve attended a BlackBerry event in the past, you may be eligible for a $150 discount as part of the Alumni Discount!

Stay tuned for availability in BlackBerry World, and get ready for a seriously mobile conference! See you next week in Orlando.

Last week the BlackBerry® 10 Jam World Tour – Enterprise Edition was held in Madrid, Spain. 121 developers took part in some very interesting sessions, demonstrations, and workshops. With these events, Research In Motion® (RIM®) aims to help enterprise developers find out what the BlackBerry® 10 platform has to offer and provide experts in building applications to show developers the wide variety of tools currently available. These tools include BlackBerry® WebWorks™ using HTML5, CSS and Javascript®, and the NDK/Cascades™ leveraging C++. On this occasion, attendees also become versed in BlackBerry MDS-CS, BlackBerry® Enterprise Service 10, and BlackBerry advantages in security.

Read more at the Inside BlackBerry Developer Blog »

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

What we learned, who was there, and what happened

BlackBerry 10 is getting all of us more excited every day. The live demonstration showcased fantastic UI elements like the flow, notification screen, and the BlackBerry Hub, as well as how application management is experienced by end users via App World and App World for Work. As a hobbyist BlackBerry developer on the side of my social media work at RIM, the screen real estate, crisp resolution, and smooth transitions have me itching to get started.

On that note, why not get started? With the BlackBerry 10 platform, developing for BlackBerry has never been easier. Whether you’re into HTML5 with WebWorks, Native Qt/C++ development with Cascades, or Adobe AIR – the SDK’s are available, BlackBerry Dev Alpha and Beta devices are being provided to eligible attendees, and the guides are plentiful on http://www.blackberry.com/developer. Many are also porting over their existing Android apps to the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ and BlackBerry 10 platform.

With functionality like BlackBerry MDS Connection Service included with BlackBerry Mobile Fusion and BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10, connecting to data behind a firewall becomes a very straightforward experience – no need to create a VPN connection and re-invent the wheel. What this means is that BlackBerry 10 apps will prove to not only be extremely aesthetically pleasing, but also vastly functional in an enterprise environment.

The feedback from developers was outstanding, as seen not only in the applause and energy during the BlackBerry 10 live demonstration, but also in countless conversations between attendees and the RIM development staff on-hand to help answer questions, provide more in-depth information, and get everyone up and running.

We’ll be in Chicago and New York!

The BlackBerry Jam World Tour – Enterprise Edition events are not over by any means. If you’re in the area, be sure to check out our plans for Chicago (Nov 28) and New York (Dec 12); register at www.blackberryjamenterprise.com!

Have you attended one of the BlackBerry 10 Jam World Tour – Enterprise Edition events? What was your favorite aspect? Share in the comments below.

We mentioned that the BlackBerry Jam Enterprise events are on their way last week in San Jose at BlackBerry Jam Americas 2012, but now all of the details are here! These exclusive enterprise developer events will be taking place all around the world, beginning with Europe, North America, and Latin America. Geared towards the area of enterprise app development, including porting existing Java apps to the BlackBerry 10 platform, the sessions and hands-on workshops will help you create, port, and fine-tune exceptional enterprise apps for business.

The events will take place at the following dates and locations:

North America

• Toronto, October 23
• Ottawa, October 25
• Washington DC, November 8
• New York, November 13
• Chicago, November 28

Europe

• London, October 23
• Amsterdam, November 1
• Frankfurt, November 6
• Madrid, November 15

Latin America

Dates coming soon!

• Mexico City, Mexico
• São Paolo, Brazil

For more details and to register, check out the web site at www.blackberryjamenterprise.com. Will you be attending one of the BlackBerry Jam Enterprise events? What are you looking forward to? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Since the beginning of BlackBerry®, the enterprise has been a crucial area of focus for the core business of Research In Motion® (RIM®). This has continued throughout the years and with the ever-growing demand of mobile applications, we remain committed to the success of the enterprise developer. The application space is heavily directed by the consumer and end-user demand, yet they often fall short to the needs of the enterprise. RIM is in a position where it can meet both needs by being a “behind the firewall” solution and by maintaining a cloud-friendly approach. Rest assured we are committed to designing and producing great products for the enterprise and also providing the right platform to help transform your business for the better with mobile solutions.

Why should businesses develop for the BlackBerry platform?

The BlackBerry platform has a heritage of strengths and opportunities for enterprise applications. As we approach the launch of BlackBerry® 10, the opportunities to drive communication, efficiency, and to mobilize your workforce with enterprise applications are rapidly growing. Here are a few strengths of the BlackBerry platform for enterprise developers:

• The development platform is standards-based
• We provide an enterprise mobility management solution to complete the full picture of employee devices, corporate data, and enterprise apps
• Worldwide leader in mobile security
• Mailbox integration
• Push technology

The best part about BlackBerry in the enterprise is that is solves many of the challenges presented during the application development cycle. First and foremost, the problem of connectivity is taken care of as BlackBerry is the only “behind the firewall” solution. Additionally the development platform has been significantly improved approaching BlackBerry 10, and we support a standards-based strategy leveraging tools like HTML5, C++, and Eclipse.

Also included is a full set of management tools, security and APIs to allow you to take full advantage of BlackBerry smartphones. Tied together with the ability to push content to your users, this makes your possibilities for the functionality of enterprise apps endless. Imagine, for example, building your application to tie right into the mailbox of a BlackBerry smartphone, providing intuitive access to crucial information for executives and employees.

What is the Enterprise Developer Lab at BlackBerry Jam Americas 2012?

For the first time during our BlackBerry® Jam events, we have created a lab for enterprise developers to bring their applications in and get consultation on how to improve, and more importantly, how to develop for BlackBerry 10. We are in the middle of a transition to this new platform, and we want to ensure that you fully understand the power that is at your fingertips as well as help you bring existing apps to BlackBerry 10. I have heard from several customers that it would be ideal to have someone available to guide them through the development process in order to take their app from Java® to BlackBerry 10; what better way to start by having a lab for enterprise developers to meet with the experts who can help get you started? Essentially you are getting a free consultation on building and customizing your application for your company on a brand-new, powerful mobile computing platform. We want to make you look like a rock star!

Why are we launching the Enterprise Developer Lab?

We’ve decided to launch the Enterprise Developer Lab as a way of getting closer to enterprise developers and helping to ensure their success. With the turbulent environment of the mobile space, we want to make sure that you have a chance to learn and try new things with assistance. We also recognize that some of these discussions are private to your organization, so one-on-one interaction is required to not let your company secrets out in the open. We believe in partnership, and building this lab as part of our BlackBerry Jam Americas conference is a great way for us to work together.

We look forward to your success while you develop the enterprise grade applications to help increase productivity and change the way that your business operates.

Come Jam with Us!

San Jose, California from September 25-27
Follow #BBJam and @BlackBerryDev on Twitter®, as well as the Inside BlackBerry Developer Blog

BlackBerry® Jam Americas 2012 is quickly approaching, and coming with it are opportunities for enterprise app developers. There are some incredible business apps available for both BlackBerry® 7 smartphones as well as BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablets – but some real excitement is on the way with BlackBerry® 10.

I run a team that is focused directly on the Enterprise Developer – we understand your challenges around security, management, and the need to support many different devices. We work to help you leverage the engagement elements of the BlackBerry UI to make apps that are not only appealing to the end user but also fully connected to the backend to access corporate data. My team is here to guide you through the process of taking your Java applications and porting them over with standards-based programming languages like HTML5 and C++. We work to ensure that you are able to design a highly successful application for your Enterprise. BlackBerry Jam Americas is a great event for you to attend in order to get the specialized attention that you require from my team and to meet up with fellow peers. We are eager to teach you the best practices learned from the many engagements with our Enterprise customers.

Developing for BlackBerry has never been easier with tools, community support, and plenty of options available. Access to corporate data, rich functionality, and a beautifully designed interface can come together to provide your business with fantastic opportunities to design custom applications, which can serve to mobilize processes and increase productivity. For an example, check out how IA Clarington Investments designed a custom CRM app to increase and mobilize sales productivity.

Beyond business apps themselves, the application management aspect is also critically important for enterprises. BlackBerry® Mobile Fusion, and the upcoming BlackBerry® Enterprise Service 10, provides functionality to push apps to employee devices, provide optional apps for employees to choose from, and manage policies related to mobile apps.

Sessions that you won’t want to miss

Check out the following developer sessions being offered at BlackBerry Jam Americas 2012 – these have been hand-picked as relevant and engaging for enterprise developers in order to equip them with the tools, knowledge, and support to drive value for your organization.

• HTML5 Web Apps for Enterprise Supporting BlackBerry 6 and Beyond
• Porting your Java Apps to BlackBerry 10
• Building an App for Enterprise? That’s Only Half the Battle!

Come Jam with Us!

BlackBerry Jam Americas will be a fantastic opportunity to connect with other developers, explore opportunities, get more sneak peeks at BlackBerry 10, and get prepared to design incredible mobile apps. Check out the details below:

BlackBerry Jam Americas 2012
San Jose, California from September 25-27
Follow #BBJam and @BlackBerryDev on Twitter®, as well as the Inside BlackBerry Developer Blog

Enterprise Developer Lab

As an added value for enterprise developers, we’ve set up an Enterprise Developer Lab where you can bring your laptop and application for one of our Wireless Application Architects to spend one-on-one time with you. You’ll leave with a clear understanding of how to make your app ready for the launch of BlackBerry 10. And you never know, you might just get to see it up and running on a BlackBerry 10 device right at the event! Just stop by the Enterprise Developer Lab and we’ll be happy to help you out.

Further Resources

• Why Attend BlackBerry Jam?
• Browse the Session Catalog
• Try out the Budget Planner

Will you be attending BlackBerry Jam Americas as an enterprise app developer? What are you most looking forward to? Share in the comments below.