John Paczkowski

Recent Posts by John Paczkowski

Why Is RIM Hiring iOS App Developers?

First, Research In Motion opened its highly secure Enterprise servers to Apple’s iPhone. Then it unveiled enterprise device-management software for it, called BlackBerry Mobile Fusion.

And now it appears that the company plans to build apps for the iPhone, as well.

A March 20 RIM job posting shows the company seeking a Senior iOS Mobile Developer to build enterprise applications; specifically, “an experienced iOS/Objective-C developer capable of architecting, designing, developing and testing complex applications for iPhone and iPad devices.”

Among the job requirements: At least two years of professional experience in writing iOS apps, and the ability to show off a few of them in the iTunes App Store at the time of the candidate’s interview.

What does RIM want with its own iOS developers? That’s not clear, and the company has not responded to requests for comment; it is in the quiet period prior to reporting earnings next week. Perhaps it has something to do with RIM’s BlackBerry Mobile Fusion effort, though presumably that wouldn’t require app developers. That said, given the consumerization of IT and RIM’s efforts to hold on to enterprise clients that might be slowly slipping away from it, having a BB Fusion app in the App Store might be a wise idea.

Another theory: The company is indeed working on bringing its popular BlackBerry Messenger service to iOS, as has been rumored before.

Below, the full text of the recruitment ad. RIM removed the original listing following the publication of this post.

UPDATE: Turns out my first theory is the more accurate of the two. In a statement given to AllThingsD, RIM said the iOS dev job is related to its BlackBerry Fusion efforts.

“As you are aware RIM announced BlackBerry Mobile Fusion on November 29, 2011 and the job posting you are referencing is to help continue the development of this product offering,” a spokesperson for the company said. “In order for BlackBerry Mobile Fusion to perform advanced management functions for iOS devices, RIM will develop an on device client to be included as part of the overall solution.”

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Just as the atom bomb was the weapon that was supposed to render war obsolete, the Internet seems like capitalism’s ultimate feat of self-destructive genius, an economic doomsday device rendering it impossible for anyone to ever make a profit off anything again. It’s especially hopeless for those whose work is easily digitized and accessed free of charge.

— Author Tim Kreider on not getting paid for one’s work