RIM unveils BBX operating system for upcoming smartphones and tablet

Research In Motion (RIM) has announced the BBX operating system that will be used on BlackBerry devices from 2012.

Co-chief executive and founder Mike Lazaridis told delegates at the BlackBerry DevCon in San Francisco that BBX will combine the best features of QNX with the firm's existing BlackBerry operating system.

"This is an exciting time for the mobile industry," Lazaridis said during his opening keynote at the event. "BBX positions developers at the forefront. I cannot understate just how important you are and we look forward to working with you."

BBX is set to feature in phones, tablets and embedded devices, Lazaridis said. However, he confirmed that RIM was committed to the QNX-based BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, which was released early this year.

Dan Dodge, QNX founder, was keen to point out the integration with HTML5 and noted that this will provide the bridge between BB OS6, BB OS7, and BBX.

RIM will also be launching an enterprise section in its App World store in the form of a ‘work' tab designed for CIOs.

Meanwhile, plans to integrate Android apps into the QNX platform are also making progress. RIM noted that the beta of its PlayBook OS 2.0 will be made available to developers, which also allows them to design applications for Android.

RIM said it will also provide direction for developers on how to best develop and monetise their BlackBerry apps.