BlackBerry too launches online application store

Taking a cue from Apple's App Store which allows iPhone users to download applications for their smart phones, BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion (RIM) too launched its online store BlackBerry App World yesterday.

BlackBerry users will now be able to download software, screen backgrounds and games free, though some applications will be charged a minimum of $2.99. Payments will be collected through eBay's paypal.

BlackBerry App World is designed to automatically present the relevant applications for a user's specific BlackBerry smart phone model, RIM said in a statement here.

Users can access BlackBerry App World over both Wi-Fi and cellular networks.

The online store is immediately available to BlackBerry smartphone users in the US, Britain and Canada, with more country launches to follow, the Rim statement said.

"BlackBerry App World showcases several applications on its front page carousel, making it easy for users to browse through a select number of featured applications. Featured applications will vary from week to week, helping users discover new applications for practically every aspect of life,'' the RIM statement added.

Applications on offer include entertainment, games, maps and navigation, music and video, news and weather, personal finance and banking, personal health and wellness, professional and business, reference and ebooks, social networking and sharing, sports and recreation, and travel.

Though BlackBerry App World will not generate any revenue for RIM as 80 percent of price of each application will go to developers, market watchers say Wednesday's launch will help RIM expand its share of the rapidly expanding smart phone market.

Launched in July, Apple's App Store has been a hit with iPhone users as more than 100 million applications were downloaded in the first two months of its launch itself.

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