BlackBerry Supports Bluetooth Smart Ready to Drive M2M Application Development

Opportunities for developers expand on secure BlackBerry 10 platform

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – BlackBerry® (NASDAQ: BBRY; TSX: BB) and the Bluetooth SIG today jointly announced native support in BlackBerry® 10 for Bluetooth® Smart Ready, a key enabler of seamless connectivity between Bluetooth Smart devices. Tightly integrated into the BlackBerry 10 platform, developers can now easily incorporate Bluetooth Smart functionality into their BlackBerry 10 applications.

“The new BlackBerry 10 smartphones are Bluetooth Smart Ready enabling developers to create apps and interfaces for new mobile experiences,” said Suke Jawanda, Chief Marketing Officer of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group. “With a strong heritage in security and a deep reputation for hands-on developer support, BlackBerry is well-positioned to help showcase the innovation that Bluetooth can enable.”

BlackBerry 10 applications can be written to leverage the wide range of Bluetooth Smart devices currently on the market. BlackBerry 10 apps with Bluetooth functionality are creating new opportunities for developers to deliver innovative user experiences in sectors such as fitness, healthcare and automotive. For example, applications can track a cyclist’s performance on their BlackBerry 10 smartphone using speed and cadence sensors on their bikes, fitness enthusiasts can capture heart rate data from training sessions to compare performance and sensors can even help drivers locate a lost set of keys.

BlackBerry provides a broad range of support for various Bluetooth profiles in BlackBerry 10, with a highly secure and robust set of APIs (Application Programming Interface) in the Native Development Kit (NDK). BlackBerry 10 implements AES-CCM cryptography and privacy features to ensure a customer’s data is kept safe and secure while their smartphone is polling or connected to a Bluetooth Smart device. This is in accordance with the BlackBerry 10 platform’s strict standards for security as well as being in compliance with Bluetooth SIG defined requirements for Bluetooth Smart and Smart Ready devices. Bluetooth Smart enables devices to communicate with one another through short, highly efficient data transfers, with low power requirements that help preserve the battery life of both the smartphone and the Bluetooth Smart device. Leveraging the Bluetooth 4.0 specification and GATT-based architecture, Bluetooth Smart Ready devices can link seamlessly with BlackBerry 10 smartphones. This offers developers a framework to create graphical user interfaces for a wide range of data-gathering sensors.

“Interconnectivity opens up an exciting, new world for app developers,” said Alec Saunders, Vice President of Developer Relations & Ecosystems at BlackBerry. “When devices are able to speak to each other, the possibilities become vast. Bluetooth Smart support on BlackBerry10 allows developers to create mobile computing apps for consumers and in vertical markets that integrate seamlessly and securely with the myriad of Bluetooth devices.”