Handhelds to get leg up from RIM designs
Published: 05 Apr 2002 07:31 BST
Research In Motion will allow other manufacturers to use designs for its popular BlackBerry email devices in wireless phones and other handheld products, the company said on Thursday.
As part of the programme, Analog Devices will develop a custom-designed integrated processor that supports wireless communications and Java applications on a single chip.
RIM did not say when it would make the reference design available.
The trend in the handheld market has been to combine more and more features into a single device. RIM recently announced a version of its BlackBerry device that adds wireless telephone service. Phone companies, meanwhile, have been adding email and data services to their products.
Palm and Microsoft already allow third parties to build systems based on their technologies. Handspring is the best-known of the Palm-compatible companies; several PC companies use Microsoft's Pocket PC specification.
"As part of this initiative, RIM will work with leading companies to develop advanced technologies that will support the reference design programme and provide device manufacturers and carriers with innovative, effective and timely wireless solutions," RIM co-chief executiveMike Lazaridis said in a release.
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