BlackBerry future@Jam in Dubai today

Mobile app developers from across the Middle East have gathered at the Blackberry10 Jam event in Dubai today, where Research in Motion is showcasing its most important upgrade in years, the BB10 software that could play a defining role in crafting the future course of the telecom giant.

RIM is handing out select developers BB10 Alpha, a prototype of Blackberry 10 handsets, so that impressive apps are ready by the time the new phones are finally ready to be launched in 2013.

The daylong event is being held at the Address Hotel in Dubai Marina.

Dubai is the only venue in the Middle East among nine cities selected from Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

The Canada based smart phone maker last month reported a steep loss along with job cuts and said the BB10 devices scheduled for 2012would be delayed until 2012, even leading to speculations that its investors plan to drag it to court.
RIM has said the delay would give retailers more time to focus on the revamped smartphones.

Reuters in its report quotes Frank Boulben, the company’s new marketing head saying that, "The short delay is not detrimental if the quality is there when we launch early next year. We will have much more attention and focus and ability to leverage our carriers."

The new software update that RIM plans to introduce into its new phones will focus on key features such as running multiple applications simultaneously and seamless transitions between them; an enhanced integration of BBM with other social media apps and easy sync and sharing of media between devices.

Developers who attended other Jams in London and Singapore have comeback a satisfied lot with positive reviews of BB10. “They really know what they are doing to get this right,” is how one of the developers summarised his opinion.

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