Microsoft and RIM announce search alliance
BlackBerry maker RIM has chosen Bing over Google in the second high-profile mobile alliance struck by Microsoft this year.
Future BlackBerry devices, including the PlayBook tablet, will ship with Bing as the default search engine within their browsers, according to the terms of the deal announced at RIM’s annual BlackBerry World conference.
The deal echoes Microsoft’s deal with handset manufacturer Nokia that will see the Finnish company use Microsoft’s Windows Phone OS as its primary smartphone platform
Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft, also announced that its mapping applications will feature in future RIM devices, with regular promotion on BlackBerry App World.
“We’re going to invest uniquely in the BlackBerry platform,” he told attendees, according to reports from multiple live bloggers.
A post on the official Microsoft blog confirming the deal read: “These new experiences highlight how the mobile landscape is changing. We’re going to see a convergence of search, commerce, social and location-centric services where Bing will provide the intelligence and the organizing layer in the cloud that connects a user’s intent with action, helping people be more productive.”
This story first appeared on newmediaage.co.uk
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