BlackBerry PlayBook developers have been presented a lot of tools to help get their applications into the hands of users come launch time for the PlayBook to launch. Recently, the DragonRAD team has opened up their cross platform development tools to assist with that process as well. DragonRAD is aiming to bring a better, faster way of developing applications that will help you get your development work completed in a more timely manner then that of existing tools already offered. The DragonRAD team is dedicated to making their platform one of the easiest out there to use and are pretty excited about being able to offer it up to BlackBerry PlayBook developers:

“We believe the Playbook will be a game changer in many industries,” said Julian White, CEO of Seregon. “Our decision to support the PlayBook demonstrates our level of commitment to the BlackBerry platform. With the upcoming launch of the DragonRAD beta program, developers will be able to quickly and easily build native applications for the PlayBook, in addition to other popular mobile platforms.”  

If you're currently working on a BlackBerry PlayBook application for entry or if you're planning to do so in the near future, you should give DragonRAD a look. Time and ease of use is always a factor when working with developmental tools and DragonRAD knows this. As such, they've made a great environment help foster those needs.

Click here to learn more and sign up for the DragonRAD beta

We've posted on DragonRAD numerous times in the past and the community response has been great. They contacted me again to let me know that they have a webinar coming up on January 12th entitled How to Accelerate Your BlackBerry Enterprise Application Development. They are even offering up a chance to win a $50 ShopCrackBerry.com gift certificate to any attendees who stay through the entire webinar. Details are as follows:

Date: Wednesday, January 12

Time: 1:00 - 2:00pm EST

Description:

Need a faster, easier way to build your BlackBerry enterprise applications? More organizations are looking to extend their enterprise applications to BlackBerry smartphones and developers now, more than ever, need a faster and easier way to connect to their enterprise data and quickly build and deploy custom BlackBerry Super Apps.

Come join us for a one hour webinar and learn how to:

• Easily connect to your enterprise backends (CRM, ERP, Web Services, Legacy Applications)
  
• Quickly build BlackBerry enterprise Super Apps without writing any Java
  
• Control and manage your application deployment and updates through the BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES)

Register for the DragonRAD webinar

When we blogged about the beta of dragonRAD back in August it got a lot of interest from the CrackBerry community, generating a ton of downloads of Seregon's powerful app development tool that makes developing for BlackBerry easy. Following up on that initial success, dragonRAD is throwing an app challenge out at the CrackBerry development community to see who can build the best app using their software. Note - if you want some guidance in using dragonRAD, they have a Webinar coming up on Oct. 27 titled "How to Build an App in 30 Minutes Using DragonRAD" (register here). Read on for the full challenge details... let's see those awesome apps!

DragonRAD 14-Day App Challenge Contest Details

Description: Contestants have 14 days to build any mobile business app using DragonRAD and submit it for a chance to win a Free 1-Year License of DragonRAD. The app can be for internal use or one intended for resale.

Starts: Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Ends: Tuesday, November 2, 2010 (Last day for app submission). The winner will be announced on Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Prize: 1-Year Paid Subscription of DragonRAD License ($4,900 value). Plus CrackBerry will throw in some Cracky prizes to the winners and runners ups.

This allows you to build and deploy an unlimited number of apps to an unlimited number of users. More details at www.dragonrad.com/pricing

How to Enter:

1. Sign Up (http://www.dragonrad.com/user/register)
2. Download DragonRAD (www.dragonrad.com/download)
3. Use the word "Contest" for the Software License Key
4. Start Building!

The app will be judged internally by DragonRAD and will be based on the following criteria:

• Uniqueness - innovative and creative use of DragonRAD technology
• Usability - intuitive and easy to use
• Business Value - solves a business need
• Integration - use of native device features (GPS, Camera, Media, etc.)

Submission Details: Users must send the app URL to contests@dragonrad.com on or before Tuesday, November 2 2010 at 11:59pm EST to be eligible to win.

Here's some exciting news for both established and aspiring developers alike. Seregon is planning on introducing a new tool to the development community, which they are calling dragonRAD, that aims to take application development and make it much more accessible. Those who have programmed for the BlackBerry platform before know how frustrating it can be to develop for, which seems to be one of the main reasons given for the lack of people developing for our beloved platform. dragonRAD is a stand-alone PC software that will give the ability to create enterprise applications from the ground up, with minimal coding experience required, depending on what the goal is. The drag and drop interface means that as long as you have a solid plan for the layout of the app, and the intended function, you can create an app without having to code a single thing. A scripting language has been included as well, for those with the know-how that want to write their own complex business logic. Users also have the ability to pull information from any database or web service, and integrate their application fully with the native functions of the BlackBerry OS, such as the camera, barcode reader, GPS, etc. The software also assists with easy OTA deployment to devices you authorize, and can synch in real time with mobile devices to keep the information current on the handhelds. 

The fact that applications can be built this rapidly, without advanced coding knowledge could be a huge step forward for the BlackBerry platform, opening it up to the creativity of many more users that previously haven't been interested in learning. The software also aids in cross platform development, allowing developers to create their applications for multiple platforms rapidly. I'll be following this one very closely to see what happens with it, and I've already signed myself up for the beta. If you're as interested as I am, hit up the website below and enter your email address to get your name in for a spot. Space is limited, and they have already seen a huge demand, so be patient.

• Sign up for the dragonRAD beta>>