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CTIA Wireless in Atlanta is the major trade show in the United States for the wireless industry. As a result, many developers, carriers and device manufacturers make major announcements at the show.

Today, several significant announcements regarding Research In Motion (RIM) and its BlackBerry wireless solutions were made. These include a new BlackBerry handheld, Java and development news, as well as a new application and service for the financial market.

Content Development

RIM subsidiary, Plazmic, is demonstrating version 3.7 of its Content Developer's Kit for the BlackBerry platform. The Plazmic Content Developer's Kit provides tools that allow developers to create interactive and animated content.

The suite is aimed at developers, graphic artists, and Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) who need a tool to simplify the authoring of wireless content and web-based applications for color BlackBerries. The Plazmic Content Developer's Kit generates content in SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics), the W3C XML-based standard for rich media content. It is due to be released in April, and will be free to registered users.

BlackBerry 7750

The new Java-based BlackBerry 7750 is for Verizon Wireless and its CDMA 1X network (see top picture). Due in April, the new BlackBerry delivers the usual array of email, phone, SMS, organizer, Internet and intranet applications.

It has 14 MB or Flash memory and 2 MB of RAM, a high-resolution (240x160) backlit display that supports 65,536 colors, a thumb keyboard that is also backlit, an integrated earpiece and microphone, as well as a hands-free headset. It weighs 5 oz( 142 g) and measures 4.76 x 3.03 x 0.71 inches (12.1 x 7.7 x 1.8 cm). The handheld's removable/rechargeable Lithium delivers 198 minutes talk and 8 days worth of standby power.

Java

Speaking of Java, Java king Sun Microsystems is working with RIM to extend mobile Java Web services to the more than one million people currently using BlackBerry solutions. Sun and RIM said they plan to enable the secure delivery of enterprise data via BlackBerry based on Sun's Java Enterprise System, Java technology for mobile devices, and Web Services technologies.

"There is an immediate need for today's companies to connect corporate networks to mobile devices to increase productivity, value-chain efficiency, sales and, most importantly, help to establish and strengthen personalized customer relationships," said Alan Brenner, VP of Consumer and Mobile Systems Group at Sun Microsystems. " He goes on to say that Sun's alliance with RIM demonstrates the potential of Java to do just that.

marketStream

BlackBerry handhelds are particularly popular in the financial market. So its no surprise that finance applications are popular among users. TeleCommunication Systems' subsidiary Aether Systems has a new financial streaming application and service called marketStream. MarketStream provides real-time streaming access to equity security prices and volume, foreign exchange rates, futures, commodities and fixed income prices, as well as news and charts via any Java-based BlackBerry handheld. The service is also compatible with mobile phones and PDAs, including the Sony Ericsson P800 and P900 and wireless-enabled Pocket PC devices. It covers 30 different markets and works on GSM/GPRS networks.

eTools

In Italy, Wireless Solutions S.p.A plans to build custom sales force automation solutions for BlackBerry using the eTools components library from DynoPlex. eTools offers a set of user interface controls for BlackBerry. It includes a file management system, standard controls for opening and closing files, application and document type registration APIs, application launch APIs and more.

"We've been searching the market place for a solution to help us solve a bouquet of unique challenges from a very demanding customer. Some of the key issues were development and deployment time. With eTools, we found a definite answer to this challenge," said Cesare Navarotto, Manager Mobile Office Solutions for Wireless Solutions.

.NET

Over in Europe, at CeBIT in Germany, Flowfinity Wireless, the only vendor to offer .NET Connected applications for BlackBerry, has been showcasing its wares. Flowfinity's applications and platform were recently tested through the Microsoft .NET Connected logo program, which identifies software applications and solutions built on the .NET Framework. Flowfinity offers forms, reports and actionable lists, such as tasks, jobs, tickets, work orders or approval items, for BlackBerry.