RIM partners to bring consumer applications to BlackBerry

Research In Motion Ltd. has unveiled partnerships with consumer giants like Ticketmaster, MySpace and Microsoft, continuing the company's push toward attracting mainstream consumers to its BlackBerry devices.

The Waterloo, Ont.-based company announced five deals on Thursday aimed at providing more consumer-friendly applications to its popular handsets, which have traditionally offered services more suited to business executives and other professionals.

The deal with Ticketmaster exclusive to Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom will let BlackBerry users search, browse and buy tickets to sporting and entertainment events.

Another deal with News Corp.-owned social networking site MySpace, will see the two join to develop a Mobile MySpace application custom-built for BlackBerry smartphones.

Likewise, RIM and Microsoft announced they are working together to integrate Microsoft's Live Search capabilities into the smartphones.

Both the Microsoft and MySpace applications would be available to customers worldwide.

RIM announced an agreement with digital video recording service TiVo Inc. that would allow BlackBerry users to schedule television recording from their smartphones.

And RIM also announced a deal with Slacker Inc. to provide a free radio application for the BlackBerry to U.S. customers.

The deals come just a day after RIM introduced a flip-phone version of its BlackBerry Pearl, the latest offering from the company aimed at broadening the appeal of it products beyond the business community.

RIM is facing increased competition in the smartphone market from Apple Inc.'s more consumer-oriented iPhone, and has responded with plans to introduce a number of new devices aimed at that market.

In August the company already introduced the BlackBerry Bold to Canada, and is expected to bring the device to he U.S. later in the fall. The Bold has a larger screen than previous models as well as access to faster third-generation cellular networks.

And RIM is expected to release the BlackBerry Thunder later in the year, which will have a touch screen like the one the iPhone has helped popularize.

RIM shares fell $3.24 or 2.8 per cent to$114.64 in midmorning trading Friday on the Toronto Stock Exchange.