[lorax1284]

Since Bridge is clearly one of the absolutely best ideas that RIM ever had, and hopefully those who came up with the marketing messaging for Bridge are now justly totally FIRED from BB (if they're not, I will stand up at the shareholders meeting and ask WHY) I think it's time for BB to consider bringing the Bridge client to iOS and Android.

Let's understand what Bridge is, first: I may 'oversimplify' here only in the interests of the readership understanding how it works in a general sense so we all understand where the work needs to be done.

Bridge is, in a simple sense, a Web server that runs on your BlackBerry handheld and can interact with a "web browser" running on a client device.

Just like with web sites, there is data on the server that applications can process and send out to the client devices, wrapped up in supporting "web pages" to display it. Just like you reading this message on crackberry.com: this message is stored in a database, and when you click the appropriate link, the message content is picked up by a database, then a bunch of HTML "wrappings" are added and what arrives at your Web browser is something you can interact with, including buttons that send additional commands back to the server, like "report this poster for being a pompous jerk".

So what does that mean for my BB devices?

It means that BlackBerry Bridge on BBOS7 was able to interact with more data sources on the BBOS7 device and process and deliver more types of data via it's "web server" than BB10 devices can currently do.

The "hard work" is done on the BB10 handheld: securely accessing and processing data on the handheld and securely serving it up to the client device (like the PlayBook). We're still waiting for the BB10 version of Bridge that has the same level of functionality as Bridge on BBOS7 devices had. When that comes, we'll also see an update to the client software on the PlayBook so it can parlez with whatever data the BB10 Bridge "server" (or servers) send(s).

But how about extending this to iOS and Android? What if BlackBerry developed a Bridge client that would piggyback on BBM for iOS or Android (which, effectively would assign a PIN to an Android or iOS device, no?). Then a Bridge client for iOS and Android could allow the same kind of interaction that PlayBook Bridge fans came to know and love.

"This undermines BlackBerry's tablet strategy" you may say. Strategically, x-platform Bridge is very similar to x-platform BBM: it will allow BB device fans to interact with other platforms, keeping their beloved BB handheld their main device but making use of the Android or iOS tablet they already have to interact with the central data store that is their BB10 handheld.

What do you think of BB developing Bridge clients for iOS / Android / Windows Phone / Windows / OSX?

I think it's another step toward total world domination for BB is what.

[Brandon Orr]

I think this makes sense. Show them that you can do it better and provide the bridge features to Android and Apple tablets that are able to show messages and email etc like that.

Posted via CB10

[KWGeorgeBB]

I would love if bridge would come to Windows RT with the same level of functionality that legacy BlackBerries had with the PlayBook. Responding to texts and BBM's on my Surface through bridge would be amazing. Doubt that will ever happen though.

Posted via CB10

[stberry]

I would love that....i seriously want that
My playbook has become lonely after i switched to iphone
Bb10 in playbook with bridging with my phone
Cannot think of anything perfect !!!

[lorax1284]

Yes: the upshot here is that the new BB isn't content to rest on laurels and get by with one or two killer "features" on their platform: they are going to compete with the best of Android, iOS etc. on devices and software and services and all the rest, and they're not going to try to find a 'comfortable' position in the marketplace and get complacent... so they should be aggressive "look at what WE can do!" in all aspects of their platform, and not be timid about being present on "competing" platforms... after all, they're really only competitive in the eyes of the marketplace at large... we know the BB platform and devices are SUPERIOR. Bringing Bridge to other platforms just carries this fact to users of those platforms. They'll wonder "why am I still using an operating system that was released in 2008? It's time to move to 2013!"

I would love that....i seriously want that
My playbook has become lonely after i switched to iphone
Bb10 in playbook with bridging with my phone
Cannot think of anything perfect !!!

I think it would be up to Apple to release bridge-like client and server apps... server for the iPhone, and client for other platforms. I don't expect them to do that, because they ARE complacent in their position (or they'd do something about that 6 year old mobile OS besides flatten the icons out).