Research in Motion's 7-Inch 'PlayBook' Tablet to Target Business Users

Research in Motion today announced a new 7-inch tablet device known as the BlackBerry PlayBook. The business-focused tablet, set for launch early next year, will offer a dual-core 1GHz, Cortex A9 processor, 1 GB of RAM, 1024 x 600 display with capacitive multi-touch capabilities, front (3-megapixel) and rear (5-megapixel) cameras, and support for 1080p video output over HDMI.

Perfect for either large organizations or an "army of one", the BlackBerry PlayBook is designed to give users what they want, including uncompromised web browsing, true multitasking and high performance multimedia, while also providing advanced security features, out-of-the-box enterprise support and a breakthrough development platform for IT departments and developers. The incredibly powerful and innovative BlackBerry PlayBook is truly a game-changing product in the growing tablet marketplace.

Pricing and other details are yet to be announced, although the PlayBook will apparently initially be available only as a Wi-Fi models, with the company planning to launch 3G and 4G models in the future. The Wi-Fi PlayBook will, however, be able to tether through BlackBerry phones for access on the go.

Research in Motion has been looking for ways to maintain its prominent position among business users as Apple's iPhone has begun to gain traction in corporate settings. Consequently, the company is placing a strong emphasis on PlayBook's ability to seamlessly integrate with users' existing BlackBerry devices to allow them to easily use whichever device is appropriate at any given time without needing to worry about syncing or duplication of data.

Seeking to capitalize on the booming mobile advertising industry, Research in Motion also announced a new mobile ad platform for BlackBerry. Rather than launching its own ad service as Apple has done with iAd, however, Research in Motion's tools will assist developers with integrating content from existing mobile ad firms into their applications.

At launch, the BlackBerry Advertising Service will offer developers and advertisers the opportunity to work with many advertising networks including Amobee, Jumptap, Lat49, Millennial Media and Mojiva. Advertising networks such as Buzzcity, NavTeq, Placecast, Sympatico, Transpera, Where and xAD, as well as rich media advertising platform Medialets, are expected to join the service in the coming months.

The new SDK tools are available to developers immediately.