BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM) will use Microsoft’s Bing search engine and maps on its new BlackBerry devices.
Bing will be "deeply integrated at the BlackBerry operating system level" on RIM’s new smartphones, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said.
Research firm comScore has said in a report that in the US, Google accounts for two-thirds of queries, while Bing has 13.9%.
Speaking at the BlackBerry World Conference in Orlando, Florida, Ballmer said that Microsoft will invest "uniquely" in RIM’s products.
As a result of the deal, Bing will be the default provider for search and maps, and be integrated within BlackBerry’s new operating system, OS 7.
"This goes way beyond search box," Ballmer said. "It’s about real tools that help real people get things done."
Recently, RIM announced two new models of smartphones which it claimed were the fastest and thinnest among its phones.
