The BlackBerry Application Center is RIM's answer to the iPhone App Store

You’re looking at the BlackBerry Application Center, RIM’s answer to Apple’s App Store and Google’s Android Market. Same basic concept as the other two—you browse and buy applications that enhance your BlackBerry experience.

The Application Center—we’re running out of variants of the term “application store!”—is set to debut with the BlackBerry Storm software version 4.7. All application data will be stored at the carriers’ locale; RIM is totally out of the loop as far as that goes. It’s supposed to differentiate the Application Center from the App Store in that regard—carriers can put the applications they want on their own little store.

So there you have it, RIM’s attempt to cash into the nascent application craze. I can’ tell if it’s going after Wall Street (well, what’s left of it) or Main Street with this, and the Storm more generally. As if this one BlackBerry (out of how many?) will capture the same type of minshare that the iPhone already. Then there’s the G1.

But, hey, should make for some interesting days ahead.