CANADIAN PHONE MAKERResearch in Motion (RIM) will use Microsoft's Bing search engine as the default on its mobile devices.
The firm has had quite a busy few days. It has announced two new Bold handsets, a video chat application for its Playbook tablet and a Facebook application, and now it has chosen to top off its celebrations by announcing even closer ties to Microsoft.
The firm apparently sees this cosy relationship as a way to beat off competition from Apple and Google's Android, and welcomed shy and retiring Steve Ballmer to one of its stages to make the announcement.
On he bounded,according to Reuters, and announced that Bing will "deeply integrated at the Blackberry operating system level".
The news was confirmed on a blog post by Bing director Matt Dahlin. "Central to this collaboration, Blackberry devices will use Bing as the preferred search provider in the browser, and Bing will be the default search and map application for new devices presented to mobile operators, both in the United States and internationally", he said.
"Also, effective todayBing will be the preferred search and maps applicationswith regular, featured placement and promotion in the BlackBerry App World carousel."
How users will react to this is as yet unknown. RIM already had suitable differentiation with its Blackberry devices, including the simple fact that they are made by neither Apple nor Microsoft.
Hopping into bed with Microsoft might erode this, depending on how firmly nailed its apps are to the Blackberry operating system and user interface, and whether prospective buyers see this as an advantage or a liability.