PalmSource's BlackBerry effort bears fruit

PalmSource said Tuesday that it is releasing the application programming interface needed to combine Research In Motion's wireless BlackBerry e-mail service with the Palm operating system.

The API is designed to let developers create secure mobile data applications to help with customer relationship management, sales force automation, supply chain management and other services for mobile devices using the Palm operating system and BlackBerry connectivity, the companies said.

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In May, PalmSource and RIM outlined how they intended to work together on combining their products for third-party developers and gear makers. The effort centers on allowing PalmSource licensees to take advantage of RIM's licensing program, BlackBerry Connect, to put software in their devices that can access the always-on wireless service. The API, PalmSource Mail client for BlackBerry Connect, is one fruit of that collaboration.

"One of the strengths of the BlackBerry platform is that it enables developers to create secure enterprise applications using a security architecture that meets strict IT requirements and is already widely approved and deployed," Mike Lazaridis, president of Waterloo, Ontario-based RIM, said in a statement.

Details on pricing and availability were not immediately available.