Microsoft continues to reach out and touch mobile device makers and their carriers. The company today announced a deal with Research in Motion that will enhance integration between Microsoft’s Windows Live services and Blackberry 7000 and 8000 series devices as well as the BlackBerry Bold, a brand-new model unveiled today that’s also known as the 9000. Microsoft last year struck a similar deal with Nokia for its popular Series 60 devices and is now in talks to also include the Series 40.
Developers of applications for BlackBerry devices will be able to enable apps to send and receive instant messages from Microsoft’s Live Messenger servers, join chat groups, set presence information, see presence status of others, save transcripts from conversations and send and receive files.
The companies also will work together to allow BlackBerry push technology to automatically send Live Hotmail messages and keep devices in sync with their online account and choose between a dedicated Hotmail inbox or a unified inbox for multiple e-mail accounts. People with an existing account on a Windows Live server would be able to gain access from a BlackBerry using their existing address and password. E-mail messages delivered to the BlackBerry will be able to display HTML with graphics, photos and hyperlinks.
But making all these capabilities a reality for devices hinges on gaining approval from carriers. Microsoft reportedly has relationships with more than 140 carriers that involve its Windows Live services, including recent deals with Latin America’s Telefonica and T-Mobile of Europe.