Google has rolled out Google Mobile Apps for Blackberry, giving owners of the cell phone a comprehensive phone app that bundles many key Google features into one streamlined application. Google Mobile App for Blackberry (a free download) is one of most complete bundled offerings of mobile applications by Google for a major carrier. It comes at a time when Web services are integrating more deeply into mobile devices, giving you the ability to connect wirelessly to advanced "cloud" services.
The Google Mobile Apps for Blackberry offers:
Fast Google search - enter queries without waiting for a browser to load
Search history - easily access and amend your previous queries
Google Suggest - complete queries with less typing
Easy access to Google products - one-click access to other Google Web-based services (Mail, Maps, News).
Google Apps support - get direct links to your Google Apps Calendar and Documents/Spreadsheets
To download the app, go to m.google.com on your BlackBerry device.
Bridging the Google Cloud
The point of Google's app is that it bridges Blackberry devices with Google's cloud. This is not the first foray into Google mobile apps. Nearly two years ago it introduced a single-function Blackberry Google Maps app. And last year Google launched an app for syncing Blackberry calendars with Gcal.
New Blackberry Devices, More Services
Research In Motion (RIM) has also just launched its first clamshell Blackberry. The device is wired for 3G speeds and for Wi-Fi, making it a perfect fit for Google's Web services.
Meanwhile, Google offers various (less complete) applications for other mobile devices across all platforms, including Windows Mobile and Symbian S60. Another application to get Google apps is undoubtedly going to be Android, Google's mobile OS rumored scheduled to launch later this month.
Don't expect Apple and Microsoft to sit idle. I suspect we will see competition to deliver mobile cloud services shift into overdrive this fall when Android makes its debut with T-Mobile. According to Reuters news agency, T-Mobile may start selling a cell phone based on the Google Android OS within weeks.
