I just got word from Research In Motion (RIM) that Verizon Wireless's version of the BlackBerry-maker's touch-screen Storm2 device, which is slated for release tomorrow, Wednesday, October 28, will ship with a Microsoft Bing BlackBerry application.
I have very few details about the actual application at this point--I'm waiting on RIM to pass on specifics, which it may or may not do before Verizon's Storm2 launch tomorrow....
The news is still noteworthy because no Bing for BlackBerry app is currently available. Microsoft offers "mobile-friendly" versions of its Bing search site, and a BlackBerry Live Search app has been available for quite some time, but that's about it.
The new BlackBerry application will presumably offer the same or similar local search, mapping and Web search features that are available on the mobile version Bing.com, but in an easy-access package. The mapping component could be particularly interesting given the popularity of Googles Google Maps for BlackBerry app.
It makes sense that Verizon should be the first to launch a BlackBerry device with the Bing app pre-installed, as the carrier has shown support for Microsoft and Bing in recent days by making Bing the default search engine on its BlackBerry Home Page, the default home page for all new Verizon BlackBerrys.
Yelp also recently launched a local-search and reviews application for BlackBerry powered-by Bing search technology.
Reprinted with permission from CIO. Story copyright 2009 CIO Inc. All rights reserved.
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