BlackBerry sets sights on SA’s app developers

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BLACKBERRY is investigating opportunities to support local mobile software application (app) developers in Africa, in a bid to attract more customers and claw back market share, the phone maker said on Wednesday.
In January, BlackBerry began its comeback bid in the smartphone market with the launch of a new operating system, BlackBerry 10 (BB10), and new smartphones including the BlackBerry Z10.
It launched with 70,000 products in its apps store, and the number has since grown to 100,000.
The company has opened app developer laboratories in Cape Town and Pretoria in the past year to help grow the country’s mobile app developers market.


The labs provide local developers, including students, startups, entrepreneurs and others, with access to resources in development, marketing, sales and training to help them expand their ideas and business opportunities. BlackBerry plans to open labs in other countries on the continent including Nigeria and Egypt.
Lelany Sommers, BlackBerry’s business development manager for the Middle East and Africa region, said on Wednesday the company was investing in resources to provide a platform for developers, as apps are one of the key and important areas for the group.
She said the group would continue to investigate further opportunities locally and in other parts of the continent to bring more app developers on board.
"There are some great apps coming out of South Africa’s developers. There is lots of interest and passion. We have to ensure that BlackBerry provides the necessary tools," Ms Sommers said.
In South Africa, BlackBerry had about 50 local apps at the launch of its BlackBerry Z10 handset and the number continues to grow. Since it launched its apps store in South Africa in 2009, more than 200-million apps have been downloaded.
On Wednesday, BlackBerry, which was previously named Research In Motion, held a developers’ event in Johannesburg, which was attended by 350 enterprise customers and developers. The event was focused on showcasing the business benefits of the BlackBerry 10 platform with the BlackBerry Z10 smartphone and BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10.
The group has struggled with declining market share as the iPhone and other devices running on Android’s operating systems eat into its consumer and enterprise base.
The BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10, which among other things allows companies to manage BlackBerry, Android and Apple’s iPhone devices on one platform, has attracted more than 25 local organisations who are already running the BlackBerry 10 system, while a further 100 are testing it.
The service also allows users to keep a personal and professional profile on the same device, without compromising business security.
BlackBerry SA and Southern Africa MD Alexandra Zagury said there had been a "warm response" to the BlackBerry 10 and BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 platform from both the local public sector and local private sector.
Ms Zagury said that the new BlackBerry platform "provides optimal usability and functionality for business customers, with no compromise to security and manageability."