RIM's BlackBerry App World is expected to be officially announced on April 1 at this year's CTIA Wireless show in Las Vegas. RIM's offering is not only an effort to keep BlackBerry users in the fold by providing a one-stop application shop, but it's also a way for RIM to extend a hand to third-party developers. As with the iPhone App Store, the success of BAW will depend heavily on the happiness, or at least motivation, of developers.
Apple's App Store had 15,000 apps available as of January. In order to compete with those numbers, BlackBerry App World needs to attract developers who will produce a sizable amount of applications -- and quality ones at that. The paid apps in the BAW start at $2.99, and many commenters are hoping that a higher price point will be a barrier to nonsense apps (see: Virtual Zippo, iFart). A potential snag here is that many BlackBerry users are provided with handsets by their employers who prohibit their employees from adding apps. However, if the applications are generally focused on productivity and there is enough demand, it's possible that many employers will relent.
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