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RIM outlines BlackBerry 10 Platform Roadmap, including Cascades framework and SuperApps

BlackBerry 10 may still seem like a far-off notion, but developers are getting ready to begin creating apps using the new Cascades UI framework, and existing core programming languages like C++, Java, Adobe AIR and HTML5.

During BlackBerry Developer Day at MWC this week, Alec Saunders, VP of Developer Relations & Ecosystems Development, outlined many of the benefits to building apps for BlackBerry 10, and how the Cascades framework maintains many of the tenets of the Playbook SDK, while adding support for the flexible and attractive Cascades framework UI. Though we haven’t yet seen the core BlackBerry 10 UI in action, based on the current state of the Playbook we get a pretty good idea.

Saunders also talked about the re-introduction of the Super App — that all-important moniker for applications that do more than just open and close, but tightly integrate with the rest of the operating system. He talked up the notion of expanding on the BBM Connected system, which he says has been incorporated into 568 apps and downloaded over 140 million times. The Cascades UI, which is being jointly developed by RIM and TAT, will help developers more easily create beautiful SuperApps.

What’s also interesting, and important, is that RIM will be bringing back push services into BlackBerry 10, and furthering the BBM Social Platform stuff they started with BlackBerry 7.

Cascades looks to be an easy-to-use and flexible UI framework that should allow developers to build good-looking apps without worrying about creating too many of their own elements. iOS has done a great job of this, keeping a uniform and predictable aesthetic throughout the third-party app ecosystem.

The entire slide show is very interesting, and shows how much work RIM is doing to keep developers on their side. Being able to develop across multiple platforms, and also be rewarded for creating SuperApps, helps everyone.

The team also dispelled a few rumours about the App World, saying that it is the second most profitable venture for mobile developers right now, and devs earn more money on BlackBerry than Android. This has been said before, but it was interesting seeing it all summed up.

Check out the entire slideshow and let us know what you think. Will you be developing apps for BlackBerry 10?

Source: Slideshare
Via: BerryReview

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