Research In Motion (RIM) announced a BlackBerry Java Development Environment (JDE) plug-in for Eclipse – a new development tool that enables Eclipse developers to create and test wireless applications for the BlackBerry platform seamlessly from within the familiar Eclipse Integrated Development Environment (IDE).

The BlackBerry JDE Plug-in for Eclipse will enable Eclipse developers to create powerful mobile applications for the large and growing base of BlackBerry smartphone users around the world while maintaining a familiar Eclipse development environment. It will also allow Eclipse developers to leverage the inherent capabilities and benefits of the BlackBerry system architecture and development tools.

The BlackBerry JDE Plug-in for Eclipse will be previewed this week at EclipseCon 2008 in Santa Clara, California. RIM will also present a session on "Taking Applications Wireless with BlackBerry and Eclipse" on Tuesday, March 18 and host a BlackBerry Developer Day on March 19, providing attendees with the opportunity to learn more about the BlackBerry platform and the BlackBerry JDE Plug-in for Eclipse with hands-on sessions.

A beta version of the plug-in is immediately available as a free download at www.blackberry.com/go/eclipse.

Key benefits of the BlackBerry JDE Plug-in for Eclipse include:

• Extends Familiar Development Experience to Mobile Application Development – The plug-in is a free download that seamlessly integrates within the developer’s existing and familiar Eclipse environment, enabling them to develop rich client applications in Java for the BlackBerry platform without having to learn a new development environment.
• Simplifies Mobile Application Development – Supports Java development standards while abstracting the complexity of wireless application development. The plug-in will enable developers to leverage the development, testing, debugging and optimization tools available with the BlackBerry JDE, as well as the inherent security, network efficiency, system integration capabilities, reliability and push-based architecture of the BlackBerry platform.
• Accelerates Mobile Application Testing – Integrated desktop simulators supporting the range of BlackBerry smartphones will enable developers to easily test their mobile applications with respect to wireless network interactions and the end-to-end user experience.
• Optimizes Wireless Application Design for BlackBerry smartphones - Provides the ability to create a rich client application with a user interface optimized for BlackBerry smartphone users.
• Leverages BlackBerry Enterprise Server – The BlackBerry Enterprise Server software, which includes more than 400 IT policy controls, offers proven security and manageability features that organizations trust for the deployment of mobile applications.

RIM also announced today that it has become a member of the Eclipse Foundation.