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eWeek reports Research In Motion's (RIM) co-CEO Jim Balsillie, who gave a keynote address at the C3 Expo in New York yesterday, has stated that his company would introduce new features into BlackBerry devices very soon. These will include Wi-Fi (perhaps dual-mode), MP3 players, video, memory expansion and image capture (camera). Balsillie, who is also RIM's Chairman, added that virtually all BlackBerry handhelds will feature GPS even, expect for some models that work with a Bluetooth GPS receiver.

This seems to confirm the months of speculation as to whether RIM would branch out from their traditional devices and incorporate multimedia features that have been prevalent in other smartphones.

RIM has been relatively slow to include new multimedia features such as MP3 playback and image capture because of security concerns from corporate customers. These large customers are used to having full control of certain features on BlackBerry devices in their enterprise through policies implemented on the BlackBerry Enterprise Server. Multimedia has tended to lag as RIM prepares new software revisions that give corporations control over them.

In his keynote address, Balsillie said, "The most important thing in wireless data is security," which is BlackBerry's "long suit."

But RIM has increasingly been making as much a play for the consumer and mobile professional market as the enterprise of late, especially with its 7100 series, so these type of features are becoming more important.

In addition, it's smart for RIM to expand the capabilities of its devices as Motorola (with the Q) and Nokia (with its Eseries, especially the E61)—the number two and number one mobile phone vendors in the world; both with far greater resources—take aim at the Canadian vendor's turf. The third largest cell phone maker, Samsung, has its own BlackBerry-killer, the SGH-i320, in the works as well.

In addition to expanding the capabilities of its own devices, Balsillie said RIM would enlarge the number of non-Blackberry devices compatible with its BlackBerry Connect service, introduced by RIM in March 2003, from 20 today by another 20 through the end of 2006. BlackBerry Connect is RIM's program to enable its push-based wireless architecture and infrastructure on competitors' smartphones.

Smartphones from Palm in the U.S. will be included as part of the expansion of BlackBerry Connect this July, which will surely give Treos a boost with enterprises. Palm and RIM announced plans to bring the program to Treo last October, and Singapore's SingTel became the first carrier to BlackBerry Connect the Treo 650 in April.

Until now, BlackBerry Connect has only been offered for GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) networks. Balsillie said the program would be coming to CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) operators - notably Verizon Wireless and Sprint in the U.S. and several Korean carriers - soon, however.

RIM will continue to emphasize GSM, however, as "providers want to be able to sell their devices to 200 carriers in 100 countries," Balsillie explained to eWeek. About 2 billion of the world's 2.3 billion wireless subscribers use GSM networks, and service using the technology is offered about 200 carriers in 100 countries.

Palm/RIM Merger
Over the course of the past week, rumors have batted around that Palm and RIM may merge. The better to fend off the encroachment of the two four-hundred pound gorillas, right? RIM's has the enterprise firmly in hand, while Palm and its Treo smartphones are the top-selling smartphones in the consumer space.

Not so fast.

Balsille threw a bucket of cold water on all the Palm/RIM coming- together talk at C3. "Our view is there is diversity in handhelds," Balsillie was quoted as saying in response to questions about the merger buzz. "We don't have grand ambitions to consolidate the handheld business any more than we have ambitions to exit the handheld business.''

Stealth BlackBerry
Just the other day, the engadget blog reported a rumor of a new BlackBerry codenamed Stealth (not so hidden, is it) headed for Cingular. Not much is known about this device, other than it may hit the market this fall (around October/November), integrate at least one the technology additions Balsillie mentioned (an MP3 player), and be a SureType (kepad/keyboard hybrid) device in the mold of the carrier's most recent BlackBerry addition, the 7130c. It appears to be a 2.5G EDGE and not a 3G UTMS smartphone as well.

We'll report more as additional details on Stealth as they come to light.