How RIM BlackBerry works with loyal app developers

[berrysoft]

With the rise of iPhone and Android a lot of developers are thinking about, to do or not to do apps for RIM's BlackBerry and Playbook.
We at Shape used to love BlackBerry and ported our IM+ to BlackBerry as early as 2003.
A lot of nice and competent people are working at RIM (Research in Motion, NASDAQ: RIMM ). For instance, Tyler Lessard, Head of Developer Relations. But as a company RIM was never too friendly to developers. At least to developers of consumer oriented apps.

And now we feel really pissed off with RIM's behavior regarding our new app IM+ for Playbook.

This is the short chronology:

On May 19th the first submission of IM+ for Playbook was sent to RIM.
We've got auto response from RIM acknowledging the submission of a
new release.



Since we haven't heard from RIM back and the developer was working on
improving the app,
on June 2nd we have submitted an update and got second auto response
from RIM.

We have never heard from RIM about the status of IM+ for Playbook. There were numerous attempts from our team to reach people from App World.

After there has been some discussion on CrackBerry forums and other
BlackBerry related websites, some of guys have managed to get through
to RIM and received a response from BlackBerry representative denying
the submission. Below is an email:

==
RIM Incident number: INC000023319419

Hello Timothy ...,

I understand that you are inquiring about IM applications on the
PlayBook. Unfortunately, there is no complicated answer for this, it's
as simple as the developers for those IM applications have not created
one that is supported on the PlayBook as of yet. We have not heard of
any release dates for any IM applications yet. I'm sorry that I do not
have more information for you. But keep checking www.blackberry.com
for any new features available for the tablet. Sorry for the
inconvenience.

Sincerely,

..................
BlackBerry Customer Support
Research In Motion Limited
Tel:
Canada Toll Free: 1-877-644-8405
United States Toll Free: 1-877-644-8410
Puerto Rico Toll Free: 1-855-651-4936
Email: playbooksupport@blackberry.com
Web: www.blackberry.com

==

We consider it a scandal.

Now it's obvious for us that RIM doesn't want IM+ for Playbook to exist. (We learned also, other developers of communication apps for Playbook are in a similar situation).
May be they see it as a threat to their BBM. This would be very anti-competitive behavior.
Or is it just a chaos in RIM house? For an underdog competing on tablet market with Apple this kind of cooperation with developers is not really promising.
No response from RIM so far. Even from Tyler Lessard.
Anyway at the moment our development for Playbook is on hold and the key IM+ for Playbook
developer is temporary switched to IM+ for Android.

Please think about it: in all the years we developed a lot of apps for BB: Alongside with IM+ and IM+ Talk these are Business Card Reader, RDM+, Mobiscope, Mobiola Web Camera, VR+, Photo Translator...
Now we invested several man-months into IM+ for Playbook. Just to find out how RIM breaches their own game rules and steals our time and money investment. Nice. This is a good lesson for every developer or small companies considering development for Blackberry or Playbook.

And this is my forecast: if RIM will continue with their snob behavior against loyal devs, their company will be acquired as soon as 2011 or first half of 2012 latest. This will be the end of independent BlackBerry devices. And perhaps a start of new Microsoft or Android powered BlackBerrys.

http://www.im-possible.com/2011/07/h...loyal-app.html

[Ackehece]

did this ever get dealt with? It's obvious the CSR didn't read the content of the message they replied to.
did this get posted in the official developer forums? or did this only get posted here on crackberry (unofficial).

[kbz1960]

The OP is from July last year. If you look in app world im+ is there.