MONTREAL - BlackBerry maker Research In Motion is going after more non-business consumers and is planning to launch a new online application store, something competitor Apple already has for its iPhone.
RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis says the consumer market for wireless data is taking off and the Canadian company will launch its application storefront in March 2009.
Lazaridis was speaking at a BlackBerry conference for software developers in Santa Clara, Calif.
RIM says it's working with online payment service PayPal to allow consumers to pay for their applications - which could include such things as games, maps and stock trading platforms -- from BlackBerry smartphones.
The Waterloo, Ont.-based company says the storefront will allow developers to set their own prices for applications and they'll be to keep 80 per cent of the revenue that comes from their applications.
RIM also will launch a new application centre that will help carriers of the BlackBerry work with developers to help them get their applications bought by consumers.
The BlackBerry is widely used in business and Lazaridis says RIM is in the consumer market with the benefit of a strong enterprise background.
