With the international growth of the BlackBerry developer community, this Challenge will be the first to recognise BlackBerry smartphone applications on a regional basis across four global regions – North America, Latin America, Europe; Middle East; Africa; and Asia Pacific. Applications can be submitted to the Challenge starting today and entries will be accepted until 6 September 2010.
Judges will evaluate applications submitted in seven categories: Productivity; Fun & Games; Knowledge; Sharing; Navigate & Explore; Multi-media; and In the Know.
Regional Selections will be notified the week of 27 September 2010. Regional Semi-Finalists in each category will be named by 1 November 2010. Regional Winners and Regional Finalists will be announced on 18 November 2010.
“The BlackBerry Partners Fund Developer Challenge has grown and evolved over the last three years and this year we will be rewarding the BlackBerry developer community at many levels to benefit more developers than ever before,” said Kevin Talbot, co-managing partner at BlackBerry Partners Fund. “BlackBerry Partners Fund is celebrating innovation that can only be achieved on the BlackBerry Application Platform, by creating apps that people cannot live without.”
Developers of applications selected at each finalist level will receive unique prizes to support their development on the BlackBerry Platform and to help them achieve commercial success.
Up to four Regional Winners will each receive a prize pack valued at $85,000, including application promotion services, BlackBerry smartphones, BlackBerry App World marketing support, an Elite membership in the BlackBerry Alliance Program and more.