RIM shows off new system

October 19, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO

BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd. unveiled a new operating system Tuesday in hopes of grabbing some attention away from the iPhone and Android phones.

The new BBX system combines existing BlackBerry elements with RIM’s previously announced QNX operating system for phones and tablet computers.

RIM said BBX will incorporate the reliability and security features of QNX — which RIM snagged in 2010 by purchasing QNX Software Systems. It also will enable software developers to create more advanced, dynamic apps for the devices.

The Canadian company gave few details about the software and did not say when devices using it would be available. The company previously said that it would offer phones running QNX software in 2012.

RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis introduced BBX on Tuesday at the company’s annual developer conference in San Francisco.