Research in Motion has announced a new NFC-based service that will let BlackBerry users share content and information with each other. The service, called BlackBerry Tag, lets customers beam content from one phone to another by touching them together, a process we estimate is seconds faster than e-mail, text, or a number of other conventional sharing options.
BlackBerry Tag will be incorporated into the next BlackBerry 7 OS update, and will allow users to share items like links, pictures, contact information, and documents. RIM also stated it has plans to release APIs on the BlackBerry platform so developers can incorporate Tag into their apps, to share information or perform interactions.
While much of the mobile industry is anxious to get on board with NFC, it’s still new and only included in a smattering of new phones. As of now, only the BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930 and BlackBerry Curve 9350/9360/9370 smartphones are NFC-capable, so the Tag system will be available on those handsets first. As more BlackBerry 7 OS phones are released, the base of Tag-able phones will grow.
With the new system, near-field communications will ensure that two BlackBerry users hanging out together will never have to show each other their phones, or even look up. RIM also notes that two users can use Tag to add each other as BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) contacts—finally, some recourse for that girl or guy who won’t give out their number. RIM has announced no official date for the system, as it still must go through its certifications.
