Google slams Apple and Microsoft, claims 'hostile, organized campaign' against Android waged through 'bogus patents' (update: Microsoft responds!)

By Donald Melanson posted Aug 3rd 2011 5:16PM

It, as they say, is on. Google’s Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, David Drummond, made an appearance on the company’s official blog today with a post not-so-subtly-titled “When patents attack Android,” which directly addresses what he calls a “hostile, organized campaign against Android by Microsoft, Oracle, Apple and other companies, waged through bogus patents.” Drummond then goes on to cite a number of examples of this “organized campaign” from those trying to “strangle” Android, including Apple and Microsoft teaming up to buy Novell and Nortel’s old patents “to make sure Google didn’t get them,” Microsoft seeking $15 licensing fees for each Android device, and lawsuits against the likes of Barnes & Noble, HTC, Motorola, and Samsung.According to Drummond, those efforts amount to a “tax” that makes Android devices more expensive for consumers and manufacturers alike, and that “instead of competing by building new features or devices, they are fighting through litigation.” He further goes on to bemoan the “anti-competitive strategy” that’s “escalating the cost of patents way beyond what they’re really worth,” and closes things out by noting that he’s encouraged by Justice Department investigations into the aforementioned Novell and Nortel patent issues. Hit the source link to read the full post yourself.Update: And now, shots have been fired from both sides. Brad Smith, Microsoft’s General Counsel, has shot off the following tweet: “Google says we bought Novell patents to keep them from Google. Really? We asked them to bid jointly with us. They said no.” We’re guessing the truth lies somewhere in between, as it always does.

Update 2: Hoo boy! The hits just keep coming’ out of Redmond. Frank Shaw, lead corporate communications for Microsoft has just tweeted an image of an email between Brad Smith and Kent Walker (Google’s General Counsel) that appears to corroborate the claims that Microsoft wanted to team up with El Goog.

Official Google Blog

via: Engadget

Did RIM lose its BlackBerry software boss just ahead of QNX transition?

BGR has learned that Research In Motion’s head of BlackBerry software may have left the company. Suresh Periyalwar, Senior Vice President of Handheld Software, had been with RIM since April 2001 when he joined as Director of Software Development. He came to the company from Nortel, where he managed CDMA-related development for more than five years. Periyalwar was promoted to SVP at RIM three years ago in May 2008 according to his LinkedIn profile, which still has him listed as a RIM employee. BGR has also learned from a trusted source that several additional key executives have been planning to leave on their own accord. (more

RIM’s stock is down more than 60% from its 12-month high of $70.54, and there is a great deal of unrest at the company’s headquarters in Waterloo, Ontario. BGR exclusively published an open letter from an anonymous senior executive at RIM late last month, which pleaded for the company’s top management to make several strategic changes in order to regain momentum and mind share in the smartphone market. A later expose, also published by BGR, painted a troubling picture of the smartphone vendor that once revolutionized the industry.

If Periyalwar did in fact leave the company as multiple sources have informed BGR, it might not bode well for RIM’s next-generation smartphones. The departure of RIM’s SVP of Handheld Software just ahead of the company’s transition to QNX could imply that the executive did not have confidence in RIM’s brand new platform. On the other hand, Periyalwar may have been pushed out in favor of fresh leadership in its software division ahead of the company’s QNX smartphone launches. RIM declined to confirm or deny the executive’s departure when reached for comment by BGR. Periyalwar could not be reached for comment.

 

BGR

BlackBerry DevCon 2011 registration now open

Although we’re still going through BlackBerry World in Florida, during the general session keynote today Senior Vice President, Business & Platform Marketing, at Research In Motion, Jeff McDowell announced that registration for BlackBerry DevCon is now open. This year, the event will take place in San Francisco on October 18 through 20.

Some of the demos, such as TAT that we’ve looked at from BlackBerry World are slated for arrival at DevCon so, if you’re looking to get in on the action early head on over the DevCon registration page. If you’re unable to attend DevCon Americas, there is still DevCon Asia and Europe as well. Check out the DevCom 2011 Americas page for more details.

Visit the BlackBerry DevCon page for more details

RIM BlackBerry for Business Webcast talks PlayBook, Enterprise and cloud services

 

Today RIM held a webcast to talk a bit on the BlackBerry PlayBook and its use in the business/Enterprise space. We heard from Alec Taylor, RIM’s Vice President, Software, Services and Enterprise talk about PlayBook for enterprise and new initiatives that RIM is working on to bring more cloud-based services to the BlackBerry Platform (it was interesting to see such a heavy emphasis on the word cloud from RIM). The topics weren’t totally shocking, but we did get some great insight into what is to come down the road for the PlayBook and RIM when it comes to business, such as their work with Microsoft.

Some key topics were Enterprise solutions for the PlayBook and cloud services as well as the many connectivity options for the PlayBook. We did learn that the PlayBook will feature various mode options for different types of users including personal mode, BlackBerry Bridge mode, VPN mode and BlackBerry Balance mode. The good thing is that there will always be new things coming down the road for the BlackBerry PlayBook as well – RIM made it clear that while at the start they’ll be leveraging the BlackBerry Smartphone as the secure tunnel connection to the NOC that they are working hard to bring that full BES-like enterprise functionality to the PlayBook/QNX OS. Keep reading to check out slides from the presentation that sum things up.

SRA Releases One Vault Messenger – SMS Encryption for BlackBerry

SRA International, inc announced today the release of One Vault Messenger, an encryption solution for Short Message Service (SMS) transmissions (text messages) for BlackBerry smartphones. One Vault Messenger was designed for executives, first responders, and government agencies that currently ‘text in the clear’. It features an intuitive interface and leverages technology from Koolspan – the developers of a tamper-resistant microSD encryption card (TrustChip) – to defend against unwanted surveillance and cyber hacking. One Vault Messenger sounds like a great addition to SRA’s entire suite of mobile protection products.

Press Release

Press Release: EA's Need for Speed and Tetris Coming to BlackBerry PlayBook at Launch

Update: We reached out to RIM and it does look like these will both be full versions. Tetris will be pre-installed and a “lite” version of Need For Speed will be installed with the full version downloading when you have Wifi coverage.

I was wondering what games we would see come preloaded on the BlackBerry PlayBook at launch. While I was sort of hoping for a souped up version of BrickBreaker, it looks like RIM is going a different route. They are really trying to put the play in PlayBook… coming preloaded on the BlackBerry PlayBook at launch is going to be EA’s Need for Speed Undercover and Tetris.  And based on the press release, we’re not talking demo versions of the games here, but the full thing (at least that better be the case!). Keep reading for the full press release. RIM will be demoing the games next week in Barcelona at MWC, so we’ll soon see the action for realz. Does this make you even more excited to get your PlayBook? Do you think we’ll still see BrickBreaker in some form (I sure hope so!). Sound off in the comments!

Press Release

RIM Preps Cloud Services, Considers Managing Non-BlackBerry Devices

Although it likes its current business of selling BlackBerry devices and the servers that businesses need to manage them, Research In Motion is open to some other alternatives.

In particular, the company is already working to re-architect its core BlackBerry Enterprise Server product so that it can also be offered as a cloud-based service, to be hosted by either partners or RIM itself.

“We will be launching a cloud service,” RIM Vice President Pete Devenyi told Mobilized in an interview following a Boston event focused on RIM’s 2011 enterprise strategy.

However, Devenyi said the service offered by RIM directly won’t cover as many types of email servers as its software is capable of supporting, leaving room for partners.

“We’re not going to launch a cloud service for everything, for every combination,” he said. “There are going to be mail servers out there that we don’t connect with through our cloud service. There will be other partners that choose to connect to other mail server providers and they may offer a hosted service on their own.”

Partners could even offer a combination of both mail server and cloud-based mobile device management. The company didn’t say when any of the cloud services might launch.

Another area that the company is exploring is whether to expand its software to manage mobile devices from other makers.

“BlackBerry is and will continue to be dominant in most corporations,” Devenyi said. “It’s not going to be the only device, given the fact that consumers have the choice to bring in their own devices, and IT departments are often letting them in. So there’s a question there. Do those corporations have to manage those devices differently or is there the possibility that RIM might extend capabilities to make it easier for those corporations to manage those devices as well.”

That business would not be entirely new. The company started a program years ago called BlackBerry Connect that allowed businesses to use their BlackBerry servers to manage certain devices when those devices communicated using BlackBerry protocols. However, the new venture, if RIM decided to go ahead, would expand that to managing devices that use their own methods.

“In this case, it would have to be done differently because it would be more native,” he said. “It wouldn’t use BlackBerry protocols to manage those devices, but conceptually yes, we did that with BlackBerry Connect.”

Devenyi stressed that although the company is talking about the possibilities in this area, it has nothing to announce.

“It is not something that we would say is never going to happen,” he said. “If enough of our customers really want us to do it, we know that BlackBerry management is far and away the best management console in the world, and if the right thing to do is to extend a subset of those capabilities to be able to manage other devices, it’s worthy of a conversation.”

Rogers VP John Boynton Confirms BlackBerry PlayBook to Be Sold Early 2011

Rogers VP John Boynton confirmed at TabLifeTO that the carrier will be carrying the WiFi BlackBerry PlayBook with the 3G models coming once they’re available. It should be interesting to see if the PlayBook will come with the rumored pricing and whether the price will differ between Rogers and other potential sellers such as WalMart or Amazon. Also at TabLifeTO, David Neale, Vice President of Special Projects at RIM took some time to demo the PlayBook which looks great every time we see it in action.

BlackBerry Torch and Other Smartphones Running The New BlackBerry 6 OS Now Certified For Use By U.S. Government Agencies

RIM today announced that BlackBerry 6 has been approved for use by U.S government agencies with a FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standard) 140-2 certification. This certification not only proves how secure OS 6.0 is for use by government agencies but also other security-conscious organizations and companies. What is FIPS?

FIPS is a U.S. government computer security standard for certifying cryptographic modules. The standard was developed through the Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP), which certifies products for use by U.S. government agencies and regulated industries that collect, store, transfer, share and disseminate sensitive information. Product certifications under the CMVP are performed in accordance with the requirements of FIPS 140-2.

“This FIPS certification will help extend the reach of BlackBerry 6 to users in a wide range of government agencies and other security-conscious organizations in the U.S.,” said Scott Totzke, Vice President, BlackBerry Security Group at Research In Motion. “BlackBerry 6 offers an exceptional mobile experience for BlackBerry smartphone users on the most secure wireless platform in the industry.”

Congrats to RIM on acquiring this certification for BlackBerry 6! For more info go to blackberry.com/security or check out the full press release below.

<p 楨

RIM today announced that BlackBerry 6 has been approved for use by U.S government agencies with a FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standard) 140-2 certification. This certification not only proves how secure OS 6.0 is for use by government agencies but also other security-conscious organizations and companies. What is FIPS?

FIPS is a U.S. government computer security standard for certifying cryptographic modules. The standard was developed through the Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP), which certifies products for use by U.S. government agencies and regulated industries that collect, store, transfer, share and disseminate sensitive information. Product certifications under the CMVP are performed in accordance with the requirements of FIPS 140-2.

“This FIPS certification will help extend the reach of BlackBerry 6 to users in a wide range of government agencies and other security-conscious organizations in the U.S.,” said Scott Totzke, Vice President, BlackBerry Security Group at Research In Motion. “BlackBerry 6 offers an exceptional mobile experience for BlackBerry smartphone users on the most secure wireless platform in the industry.”

<p 楨

RIM today announced that BlackBerry 6 has been approved for use by U.S government agencies with a FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standard) 140-2 certification. This certification not only proves how secure OS 6.0 is for use by government agencies but also other security-conscious organizations and companies. What is FIPS?

FIPS is a U.S. government computer security standard for certifying cryptographic modules. The standard was developed through the Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP), which certifies products for use by U.S. government agencies and regulated industries that collect, store, transfer, share and disseminate sensitive information. Product certifications under the CMVP are performed in accordance with the requirements of FIPS 140-2.

“This FIPS certification will help extend the reach of BlackBerry 6 to users in a wide range of government agencies and other security-conscious organizations in the U.S.,” said Scott Totzke, Vice President, BlackBerry Security Group at Research In Motion. “BlackBerry 6 offers an exceptional mobile experience for BlackBerry smartphone users on the most secure wireless platform in the industry.”

<p s楨

RIM today announced that BlackBerry 6 has been approved for use by U.S government agencies with a FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standard) 140-2 certification. This certification not only proves how secure OS 6.0 is for use by government agencies but also other security-conscious organizations and companies. What is FIPS?

FIPS is a U.S. government computer security standard for certifying cryptographic modules. The standard was developed through the Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP), which certifies products for use by U.S. government agencies and regulated industries that collect, store, transfer, share and disseminate sensitive information. Product certifications under the CMVP are performed in accordance with the requirements of FIPS 140-2.

“This FIPS certification will help extend the reach of BlackBerry 6 to users in a wide range of government agencies and other security-conscious organizations in the U.S.,” said Scott Totzke, Vice President, BlackBerry Security Group at Research In Motion. “BlackBerry 6 offers an exceptional mobile experience for BlackBerry smartphone users on the most secure wireless platform in the industry.”

<p 楨

RIM today announced that BlackBerry 6 has been approved for use by U.S government agencies with a FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standard) 140-2 certification. This certification not only proves how secure OS 6.0 is for use by government agencies but also other security-conscious organizations and companies. What is FIPS?

FIPS is a U.S. government computer security standard for certifying cryptographic modules. The standard was developed through the Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP), which certifies products for use by U.S. government agencies and regulated industries that collect, store, transfer, share and disseminate sensitive information. Product certifications under the CMVP are performed in accordance with the requirements of FIPS 140-2.

“This FIPS certification will help extend the reach of BlackBerry 6 to users in a wide range of government agencies and other security-conscious organizations in the U.S.,” said Scott Totzke, Vice President, BlackBerry Security Group at Research In Motion. “BlackBerry 6 offers an exceptional mobile experience for BlackBerry smartphone users on the most secure wireless platform in the industry.”

<p s楨

RIM today announced that BlackBerry 6 has been approved for use by U.S government agencies with a FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standard) 140-2 certification. This certification not only proves how secure OS 6.0 is for use by government agencies but also other security-conscious organizations and companies. What is FIPS?

FIPS is a U.S. government computer security standard for certifying cryptographic modules. The standard was developed through the Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP), which certifies products for use by U.S. government agencies and regulated industries that collect, store, transfer, share and disseminate sensitive information. Product certifications under the CMVP are performed in accordance with the requirements of FIPS 140-2.

“This FIPS certification will help extend the reach of BlackBerry 6 to users in a wide range of government agencies and other security-conscious organizations in the U.S.,” said Scott Totzke, Vice President, BlackBerry Security Group at Research In Motion. “BlackBerry 6 offers an exceptional mobile experience for BlackBerry smartphone users on the most secure wireless platform in the industry.”

<p 楨

RIM today announced that BlackBerry 6 has been approved for use by U.S government agencies with a FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standard) 140-2 certification. This certification not only proves how secure OS 6.0 is for use by government agencies but also other security-conscious organizations and companies. What is FIPS?

FIPS is a U.S. government computer security standard for certifying cryptographic modules. The standard was developed through the Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP), which certifies products for use by U.S. government agencies and regulated industries that collect, store, transfer, share and disseminate sensitive information. Product certifications under the CMVP are performed in accordance with the requirements of FIPS 140-2.

“This FIPS certification will help extend the reach of BlackBerry 6 to users in a wide range of government agencies and other security-conscious organizations in the U.S.,” said Scott Totzke, Vice President, BlackBerry Security Group at Research In Motion. “BlackBerry 6 offers an exceptional mobile experience for BlackBerry smartphone users on the most secure wireless platform in the industry.”

 

Press Release: RIM launches BlackBerry Advertising Service

RIM today launched their BlackBerry Advertising Service. The service for the BlackBerry platform allows developers to easily integrate advertising into new or existing applications. The advertising can be integrated into applications with just three lines of code, making it super easy to get things rolling. The ads will be relevant to the application as well as be able to tie into native BlackBerry applications like email, maps, calendar and more.

Press Release