Widget SDK Released for BlackBerry

Research In Motion (RIM) has announced the BlackBerry Widget SDK to enable third-party application developers to build rich, integrated applications for BlackBerry smartphones using common web technologies. With the BlackBerry Widget SDK, developers can build web-based applications for BlackBerry smartphones with advanced features and functionality, a capability only previously available for BlackBerry applications written in Java.

A BlackBerry Widget uses the BlackBerry Browser engine to render an application’s UI using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Developers are able to use existing web content to create BlackBerry Widgets and extend the capabilities of their web applications using BlackBerry Widget APIs. Using the BlackBerry Widget APIs, developers can, for example, create seamless interaction between a widget and the BlackBerry email and calendar applications, create widgets with the ability to view or edit files and documents stored on the smartphone, access location-based services or the media player, and more. Developers can also take advantage of RIM’s push technology, enabling dynamic widgets that can run in the background and provide proactive alerts to users in a timely manner.

“BlackBerry Widgets open up a world of opportunities for developers to build and bring to market web applications for BlackBerry smartphones that offer advanced, integrated functionality and an always-on user experience,” says RIM’s Alan Brenner. “We are very excited by the prospects of this new widget development platform which combines the ease of development of standard web languages with the rich functionality of Java development.”

Support for BlackBerry Widgets will be available on BlackBerry smartphones that run BlackBerry OS 5.0, which will include an enhanced BlackBerry Browser with support for Gears, SQLite, and the BlackBerry Widget APIs.

BlackBerry Widgets can be easily distributed over-the-air, via BlackBerry App World storefront, or through BlackBerry Enterprise Server in corporate environments.