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im+ For BlackBerry PlayBook

If you frequent the CrackBerry BlackBerry PlayBook forums you've note doubt noticed a thread discussing the release of IM+ for the BlackBerry PlayBook rather, the lack of release. SHAPE services, the company behind many popular BlackBerry Apps and a BlackBerry Alliance member has taken up issue with RIM and their App World approval practices. And they have some pretty valid reasons for doing so. We've received the following email from SHAPE services explaining the issue:

On May 19th the first submission of IM+ for Playbook was sent to RIM. We've got auto response from RIM  acknowledging the submission of a new release.

Since we haven't heard from RIM back and the developer was working on improving the app, on June 2nd we have submitted an update and got second auto response from RIM. We have never heard from RIM about the status of IM+ for Playbook.

As our Alliance Manager Maria mentioned in her Google+ post there were numerous attempts from our team to reach people from App World.  After there has been some discussion on CrackBerry forums and other BlackBerry related websites, some of guys have managed to get through to RIM and received a response from BlackBerry representative denying the submission.

Now it's obvious for us that RIM doesn't want IM+ for Playbook to exist. May be they see it as a threat to their BBM. This would be very anti-competitive behavior. Or is it just a chaos in RIM house? Anyway at the moment our development for Playbook is on hold and IM+ for PlayBook developer is temporary switched to IM+ for Android

Needless to say, that's not the information you want to be hearing from any BlackBerry developers especially when they are working on apps for the BlackBerry PlayBook -- a platform that needs new quality apps and needs them as soon as possible. Many folks in the forums have asked why we waited so long to post this, it's clearly an app that everyone is waiting for and if for some reason it is being held back on purpose then it should be known. Fact is, we were hoping we wouldn't have to considering the vocal stance SHAPE services took on the matter, RIM should have addressed the issue before it ever made it to our inboxes and on our forums but they haven't.

As it stands right now, we've requested an update from RIM regarding the situation and what plans they have to address it but no info as of yet has been relayed. Hopefully, we'll hear from SHAPE services noting the availability of IM+ for the PlayBook before we hear from RIM.

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