![\"Steve](\"\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/steve_balmer_blackberry_world1_660741138.jpg\" "\\"Steve")
<\/p>\nMicrosoft CEO Steve Ballmer made a surprise appearance at BlackBerry World on Tuesday, announcing what appears to be a ‘deep’ partnership between Microsoft and BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (RIM).<\/p>\n
This is an interesting move by Microsoft who not only have their own platform in Windows Phone, but also recently announced a partnership with phone giant Nokia.<\/p>\n
Ballmer announced that Microsoft’s Bing search and maps services would become the default across all BlackBerry devices, as it already is on the PlayBook.<\/p>\n
“Effective today Bing will become the preferred search and maps application for BlackBerry,” Ballmer said.<\/p>\n
This won’t just be a superficial ‘setting-level thing’ either, according to Ballmer. “Bing will be deeply integrated on the BlackBerry operating system level,” he said.<\/p>\n
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Demonstrating some of the features Microsoft have planned for BlackBerry devices, Blaise Aguera y Arcas, distinguished engineer for Bing at Microsoft, showed how they envision Bing services being available from the main screen of a BlackBerry device.<\/p>\n
Aguera showed how Microsoft believes search is more than just results on a page, and rather about completing a task. After searching for a restaurant, for instance, you should be offered the option of booking a table.<\/p>\n
Microsoft also showed off a daily deals service which has become an increasingly competitive space.<\/p>\n
This won’t be the last we’ll see of Microsoft in BlackBerry’s plans, however. “We’ll be back,” Ballmer promised RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis as he exited the stage.<\/p>\n