RIM’s Latest BB10 Developer Plan: Grow Your Own

Research In Motion CEO Thorsten Heins may be right when he says his struggling company has “a clear shot at being No. 3” in the smartphone market. But it’s not going to attain that spot on the strength of its forthcoming BlackBerry 10 operating system, even if the OS does prove to be a miracle of innovation.

To win a spot at the smartphone table with Apple and Google, RIM needs a thriving app ecosystem. The company knows that all too well, and it has been pulling out all the stops to court the developers upon which its future success may hinge.

It has offered them cash. It has offered them preferred placement in BlackBerry App World. It has even serenaded them to REO Speedwagon.

Now it’s going a step further. It’s offering them a place to work.

On Tuesday, RIM opened its first global developer center, a dedicated workspace for BlackBerry 10 developers. Located in the English town of Slough, just west of London, the BlackBerry Tech Center provides devs not only with a place to work, but with a team of developer evangelists to offer guidance and troubleshooting expertise. The Slough center is the first of five that RIM plans to open in Silicon Valley, Canada and India, among other places.

An interesting move, and one that reflects the urgency of the company’s mission these days. Does it reek of desperation? Sure. But these are desperate times, and you’ve got to give RIM credit for going the extra mile here. The company really does appear to be doing all that it possibly can to ensure that the launch of BB10 goes well.