RIM announced a new enterprise-grade application development tool for BlackBerry today called BEAM, which aims to address challenges in compatibility and connectivity for end-to-end corporate mobility software solutions. What exactly that entails is well over my head, but the BlackBerry Enterprise App Middleware SDK will likely be the first stop for developers working on custom apps particular to companies and industries. The types of APIs range from push data, to compressed file transfers with enterprise apps, GPS, camera, and calendars, among others.
A closed beta will be available this year, with a proper release of BEAM available in 2010. Head over to http://www.blackberry.com/developers/beam for a closer look.