Research In Motion (RIM) has launched Facebook for BlackBerry Smartphones, tagging it as “an exciting new BlackBerry software application” that enables fast, streamlined and optimized mobile access to the popular social utility site using a BlackBerry smartphone.
Leveraging the push-based BlackBerry system architecture and Facebook Platform, the solutions will allow users to wirelessly send and view messages, photos, pokes and Wall posts.
The rich, native application goes beyond browser-based access, automatically pushing notifications to the user’s BlackBerry smartphone as friends and colleagues send notes, Wall posts or pokes. The application allows users to take a photo, upload it to the site with captions and tags; quickly and easily invite friends; manage events; manage photo albums; and manage their status while on the go.
“Facebook is one of the fastest growing web destinations among BlackBerry smartphone users and it has become an important element in the evolving fabric of personal communications,” said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at RIM.
“Facebook and RIM share a vision for enhanced mobile communications and social networking based on open, standards-based platforms and this has allowed us to produce a rich mobile application for Facebook users that leverages the push-based architecture, multimedia features and industry-leading usability of the BlackBerry solution.”
"The worlds of wireless communication and social utilities, such as Facebook, continue to converge. As people look for new ways to stay connected and network with peers and colleagues, true mobile access to these types of utilities can only become more popular," said Jill Aldort, Sr. Analyst, Consumer Research at Yankee Group.
"Even at this nascent stage of the market, 19% of adult consumers who access social networks on their PCs also regularly access these same sites on their mobile phones."
Facebook for BlackBerry Smartphones, will be available as a free download. |
