RIM Android Port-A-Thon set for January 11
updated 05:14 am EST, Wed December 26, 2012
RIM aims to boost developer interest in BB10 with Android Port-A-Thon
RIM has announced that its Android Port-A-Thon will be held on January 11. The event is being held to boost developer interest and ultimately, RIM hopes, spur user interest in its forthcoming BlackBerry 10 OS. RIM CEO Thorsten Heins has promised that BB10 will launch with at least 70,000 apps and is promising developers cash and a chance to win hardware for every Android app ported.
The virtual event will kick off at noon ET on the 11th and run for 36 hours. Developers will be offered $100 for each app that they port with a maximum of 20 paid applications per vendor. Additionally, if a developer submits five or more apps, they will be entered into a random draw for 1 of 100 BB10 Dev Alpha Devices as well as one additional entry for each app submitted over 5.
All told, the RIM is putting up $500,000 to fund the app drive, which will form a critical component of its go to market strategy for its make-or-break BlackBerry 10 launch. Despite posting a better than expected result in its last quarter, RIM continues to lose both money and its user base in the face of overwhelming consumer interest in Apple’s iPhone and devices running Google’s Android OS. Having a robust app ecosystem for its January 30 launch is essential if it hopes to stake out a more stable market presence. [via Ubergizmo]
