BlackBerry Devices To Sync With MacsBlackBerry Devices To Sync With Macs

BlackBerry maker Research in Motion said Thursday that it will give away free synchronization software to Mac owners so that they can square personal assistants with Mac applications, including Microsoft's Entourage e-mail client.

RIM has signed a licensing deal with San Diego-based Information Appliance Associates (IAA) to offer free downloads of the latter's PocketMac program starting in February. The BlackBerry version of PocketMac synchronizes e-mail, contacts, calendar, tasks, and notes with Microsoft Entourage, the Mac OS X's own Address Book and iCal, and other applications, including Now Contact and DayLite.

Down the road, said RIM, it will work with IAA to integrate the sync software into BlackBerries.

RIM's move is another against its rival Palm, which has long enjoyed a monopoly on the Mac. Apple Computer's OS X, for instance, includes a utility dubbed iSync that synchronizes data on the computer with Palm handhelds.

Financial terms of the deal between RIM and IAA were not disclosed.

RIM has been in the new of late more for its legal tussles with NTP than for product announcements NTP has sued the Canadian-based RIM, claiming that its mobile e-mail patents had been violated. In late December, however, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office rejected five NTP mobile e-mail patents.

The legal machinations have cast a cloud over whether RIM would be allowed to keep its e-mail service, used by nearly 4 million Americans, up and running in the U.S. Some analysts, in fact, have warned enterprises to steer clear of BlackBerry until the matter is sorted out.