RIM announces release date for BlackBerry 10, new devices

A few years ago, bring-your-own-device (BYOD) practices were dominated by Research In Motion (RIM) and by its BlackBerry devices. Now, with the advances in functionality of iPhone and Android devices, BlackBerry has been left behind and has been gaining more negative headlines than anything.

The former king of the mountain, however, is gearing up stake its claim to the title again and has announced a release date and further details for the BlackBerry 10 platform. A new operating system, BlackBerry 10 will hit stores on January 30 next year and will be featured on two new smartphones coming out on the same date.

“Our team has been working tirelessly to bring our customers innovative features combined with a best in class browser, a rich application ecosystem, and cutting-edge multimedia capabilities,” RIM CEO Thorsten Heins said in a statement on Monday  “All of this will be integrated into a user experience – the BlackBerry Flow – that is unlike any smartphone on the market today.”

According to Heins, the new software will be a complete overhaul to the BlackBerry operating system and will include touchscreen capabilities, multitouch gestures and new features like Peek, for using multiple apps and Balance, to separate work and play programs.

RIM has partnered with a number of carriers for a global release and has already received a security certification from the U.S. government, the first time the company has had a device reach this point before a commercial release.

With new devices from a former industry leader hitting the market, BYOD strategies are going to get more crowded. IT departments are going to need to ensure their company network and cabling solutions will be able to handle the increased traffic and an experienced IT consulting firm like CTI Technology can ensure everyone is on the same page.