RIM to launch Dipdive via BlackBerry

Research In Motion announced it will partner with will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas to offer the rapper's Dipdive social networking service and music content via BlackBerry devices. The deal signifies RIM's latest attempt to establish BlackBerry as a consumer platform and follows on the heels of a similar mobile social networking deal with market leader Facebook. "Probably the two hottest trends in wireless are social networking ... and the other one is the multimedia, which is principally portable music," said RIM CEO Jim Balsillie in an interview. Dipdive, which launched a viral sensation with the pro-Barack Obama anthem "Yes We Can," heralds the merger of multimedia content and social networking tools, Balsillie added: "It brings the artist into a direct relationship with the fan."

For more on the RIM/Dipdive deal:
- read this Financial Times article

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