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Google ices native Gmail app for BlackBerry

RIM: the Rodney Dangerfield of smartphone makers

Beleagured RIM continues to suffer the slow torture of death by a thousand cuts: Google is dropping support for its native Gmail app for BlackBerry.

Announced in a Google Apps blog post entitled, fittingly enough, "Deprecation of Gmail App for BlackBerry", Google will cease supporting the native BlackBerry Gmail app on November 22.

That date, by the way, is exactly four-dozen years after the assasination of US president John F. Kennedy – but we doubt if Google is making a statement about the future fate of beleaguered, struggling RIM.

"Over this past year," says Google in its blog post, "we've focused efforts on building a great Gmail experience in the mobile browser and will continue investing in this area."

But owners of smartphones from beleaguered, struggling, troubled RIM may find that a bit of cold comfort, even though Google Apps for Business, Government, and Education customers that use Google Apps Connector for BlackBerry Enterprise Server will continue to be supported.

Devotees of beleaguered, struggling, troubled, and benighted RIM may, Google says, continue to use the native Gmail app for BlackBerry, but as of later this month it will no longer be downloadable.

So should you need to wipe your Blackberry for any reason, and if you've developed an affection for the native Gmail app for BlackBerry, come November 22 you'll be S.O.L. ®

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