RIM announces NFC-based BlackBerry Tag tap-to-share service

By on Oct 11, 2011 at 11:00 PM
mobile October 11, 2011

Research In Motion co-CEO Jim Balsillie took the wraps off a new NFC-based BlackBerry service during his keynote presentation at the GITEX conference in Dubai this week. Dubbed BlackBerry Tag, the new feature will allow BlackBerry users to share contact information, documents, URLs, photos and other multimedia files by tapping one handset against another. BlackBerry Tag will also allow users to add each other as BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) contacts with a simple tap. ”BlackBerry Tag is an exciting and innovative feature that makes sharing contact information and multimedia content effortless and seamless,” Balsillie said in a statement. “BlackBerry Tag opens a new dimension to the BlackBerry platform that is powerful, simple and intuitive and we think it will be welcomed by both users and developers.” BlackBerry Tag will be enabled on NFC-equipped handsets in an upcoming BlackBerry 7 OS update. RIM’s full press release follows below.

BlackBerry Tag enables effortless ‘tap to share’ exchanges of multimedia content and contact info between friends

Friends can also add each other as BBM contacts with a simple ‘tap’

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES–(Marketwire – Oct. 10, 2011) – GITEX –During his keynote presentation at the GITEX conference in Dubai, Research In Motion (NASDAQ:RIMM)(TSX:RIM) Co-CEO Jim Balsillie today unveiled a new way for BlackBerry® smartphone users to connect with one another and share multimedia content.

BlackBerry® Tag, which will be incorporated in the next BlackBerry® 7 OS update*, will allow users to share contact information, documents, URLs, photos and other multimedia content by simply tapping their BlackBerry smartphones together. BlackBerry Tag will also enable friends to instantly add one another as contacts on BBM™ (BlackBerry® Messenger).

“BlackBerry Tag is an exciting and innovative feature that makes sharing contact information and multimedia content effortless and seamless,” said Jim Balsillie, Co-CEO at Research In Motion. “BlackBerry Tag opens a new dimension to the BlackBerry platform that is powerful, simple and intuitive and we think it will be welcomed by both users and developers.”

BlackBerry Tag takes advantage of Near Field Communications (NFC) technology included in the recently launched BlackBerry® Bold™ 9900/9930 and BlackBerry® Curve™ 9350/9360/9370 smartphones, and these are the first BlackBerry smartphones that will support BlackBerry Tag.

RIM also announced plans to expose BlackBerry Tag through APIs on the BlackBerry platform, allowing software developers to take advantage of “tap to share” functionality from within their own applications.

* Subject to network operator certifications. Check with your local operator for availability.

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  • http://www.droiddoes.com/ Norm

    awww cute, RIM is still stealing IP from Palm even after they are gone!

    • XVII69

      @norm, Where do u think everyone got the idea to build a smartphone from?(By the way i use Nexus phone) just saying…

    • Youngp88

      do u ever sleep or get off this website??

      • Applesucksfatties

        Norm gets off on RIM articles on this website…..

    • Applesucksfatties

      Hey…it is Norm the Village Idiot…  can you sing and dance for us while we point and laugh at you?

  • SniperSniper

    What phone was the CEO using when he was Dubai, when the Blackberry servers were down there for 2 days? Iphone? He had to be using something, how did he communicate?

    • Applesucksfatties

      This new broke earlier in the week, and the server went down yesterday..

    • Deckchairs

       If you met him you’d realize he doesn’t need a phone…. he’d just shout and you’d hear him in Canada

      • Applesucksfatties

        sure……troll

    • Rudy

      My BB has been working fine…

  • Justin Lisenby

    Dear BGR,

    Did you know that this is yesterday’s news? Literally, it came out yesterday and was posted on every BlackBerry blog on October 10th. Maybe if you focused a little more on news instead of analyst opinions you would have seen this yesterday.

    -Yep 

    • SniperSniper

      I rather read about Blackberry services being down for the 2nd day in a row. Maybe again, tomorrow I will read the same news.

      Well at least the 2nd time when Blackberry services went down, it got picked up by the NY TIMES.

      • Applesucksfatties

        why?  does it impact you or would you rather just read the typical negative BGR articles so you can come out here and post your trollish comments?

      • Heatfan316

        Everyone just likes to laugh at rim at this point. It’s just to darn funny!

      • Applesucksfatties

        @c08bca40f525a3027aff08d4570a2b67:disqus – just like they like to laugh at the chokefest put on by the Heat last season?

      • Deckchairs

        With the network seemingly permanently down is this RIM’s revolutionary disaster recovery strategy? Find two users, bump phones, pass your message on…….. In theory at least it will eventually reach your intended recipient??

      • Applesucksfatties

        Or maybe we should all just switch to the new iPhone so we can send each other greeting cards…

    • Applesucksfatties

      Nope…BGR editors were busy digging through breaking news to find negative news about RIM.  I’m sure the article about them buying a “cloud” company earlier in the week will find its way to BGR late Friday night when nobody is reading the articles on this two-bit “tech” website.

      • Justin Lisenby

        Yeah, that sounds about right. RIM has some big things planned for DevCon and I bet we won’t see it on BGR till a few days after the event. Unless it’s a pre-release device or negative news, BGR refuses to post on BlackBerry.

      • Applesucksfatties

        because BGR staff is too busy kissing Apple ass and sending greeting cards from their i3GS+

      • Deckchairs

         The thing is BGR used to kiss RIM’s *ss too…..

        When they were relevant.

        Think about it.

      • Applesucksfatties

        So, because according to you they “aren’t relevant”, it is okay for BGR to post 5 negative articles to every one positive article the post about RIM? 

  • Tony Camilli

    What about QNX?  Isn’t that their future platform?  Why even bother with BB7 at this point?

    • Anonymous

      Because they are too stupid.  QNX or BB’s version is an awesome S/W platform. I love the Playbook S/W but wouldn’t buy one because it has too many deficiencies, no mail, apps store, No external SD memory. RIM just needs to get rid of those two baffoons they call CEO’s.

      • Applesucksfatties

        No app store?  really?

        No email? ever hear of BlackBerry Bridge and OS 2.0?

      • Anonymous

        You’re kidding, right?  

        What useful and good apps are there?  BB Bridge, yes but you have to have you’re BB phone with you and it needs to be charged and connected.  Pleeeese that is no argument.  Oh and no GPS.

      • Heatfan316

        Let’s all send greeting card from our iPhones to rim upon their death.

      • Applesucksfatties

        @c08bca40f525a3027aff08d4570a2b67:disqus – you are a moron.  Don’t you have a NBA championship to celebrate… oh, nevermind.. your dream team choked!!

      • Chris Allen

        Waiting patiently since June for 2.0 upgrade :(

      • Applesucksfatties

        @google-f87a328bb74a765bb5980e2f83cee141:disqus  – As have I … I never said RIM was fast about getting their software updates out..   Frankly, I think they have some very large room to improve.. but IT changes always take forever at my company too..

      • Applesucksfatties

        There are a bunch of great apps in BB App World – uTrack, Poynt, Groovynotes, Evernote, Weathereye, Slacker, Qfolio…..and Gameloft just released a few new great games for the PlayBook (Modern Combat 2, Asphalt 6).

        And why would I not walk around with my BlackBerry on me and charged?  Who doesn’t carry their smartphone with them a large percentage of the time?

        And yes, the PlayBook does have GPS…..   what next?  ”Well, i bet it can’t make greeting cards”?

      • Devon2000

        @JR69:disqus  the Playbook does have gps, and you make it sound like connecting your bb to the playbook is such a hassle, all you do is pair it one time and it connected all ways unless you turn the bridge feature off

    • http://twitter.com/TechManMike Michael Lee 

      3 Words come to mind, iPhone and Android. They have to do something to keep the people happy and around until QNX comes out. What better way than by playing to their best known service on the Blackberry, BBM. I actually think it’s kind of a smart move even though I don’t think it’s gonna help much lol. 

  • slav

    But how do I add people on BBM if servers down all week?

    • Applesucksfatties

      are you in Europe, the Middle East, or Africa?

    • Deckchairs

       Drive round to their house and bump phones! Progress!!

      • Applesucksfatties

        where is the NFC on the iPhone?  Oh wait, I forgot…they wont release it for 2-3 more years and then all if the iSheep will say Apple was the front runner in this technology….paving the way with their innovation.  HA!

      • Deckchairs

        That’s a good point. I guess they had other priorities? RIM might steal a march on them, then again it may not take off till there’s a lot more market momentum behind it. And one declining phone manufacturer isn’t momentum…..

        But yes, good point.  

      • Applesucksfatties

        Well… if everyone waited around for market momentum, there would be no innovation in anything.  Look at smartphones.. if RIM and Palm wouldn’t have pushed the mobile device space (without said momentum), your precious iPhone wouldn’t have existed.  This NFC technology is cool.. from replacing work IDs, to POS transactions using your phone…   but hey, I guess it is just easier to rip on RIM.  

  • SniperSniper

    I think RIM should start to figure out how to get BIS and BES to work INSIDE natively in QNX, BEFORE projects like this. Where is the native BIS or BES inside The playbook.

    Oh yeah, thats right. RIM cant get BIS or BES to work with QNX, so they shoved the bridge down everyone’s throats.

    • Applesucksfatties

      OS 2.0 is coming…stop being a bitter troll..

      • Mannipacman

        Dude RU the president of Rimpire strikes back?

      • Applesucksfatties

        Yup….

      • Jp2468

        Remember when BlackBerry was cool. It’s been long time. I long for those years. Well time to move on. I like to think RIM can be called the the comeback kid but time is running out. Hey it was nice while it lasted. maybe I can keep my old BB in the storage bin with my GI Joes lol……

      • Applesucksfatties

        Yeah Jp…go be so hip and cool with your iPhone and your iPad…I’m sure you are the douche sitting at the table right when you walk in to a Starbucks texting his “friend” while “working” on his iPad and screaming “hey everyone….look at me!  I’m super cool because I have a suite of Apple products.”

  • Tom

    Will RIM just give it up already?  

    It’s like trying to win a race with one leg after you give your opponent a two mile head-start.

    • Anonymous

      You mad?

      • homescrub

        ask the shareholders.  

      • Tom

        lmao couldn’t have said it better myself.  

    • Applesucksfatties

      Speaking of just giving up already…..

  • Deckchairs

    Whilst its easy to make fun of RIM these days, this looks a nice little feature. If I bought a BB with NFC I think I’d use it. It’s something I’ve often wanted a way to do. Like handing over a business card. Not sure how it will go down when only a few %ge of BBs can do it though. That might just *iss people off. But you have to start somewhere. 

    The other thing is that this looks “trivial”. Unless they can patent it my guess is all the other vendors could knock out something similar any time they felt the need?

  • Max

    What’s to share? They all have Brickbreaker already.

    • Applesucksfatties

      Right on time with the moronic comments from the drooling imbecile.

      • morpho4444

        slow clap… good job there… can’t wait to QNX.. Im sure QNX and BB7 will be able to share files between them via NFC

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_47W6CR65QNWSRIPYCFU4C6VXE4 I

    Tap to Share is already patented by HP…

    Good luck with that lawsuit

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