The 2009 Wireless Enterprise Symposium for BlackBerry Users hasn’t even officially started yet, but news from the event has already started making its way out. The BlackBerry Partners Fund has just announced their second annual BlackBerry Developers Challenge, offering up a hefty cash prize to the developer who brings the best BlackBerry app and business plan to the table.
The contest is similar to last years, though the prizes and focus have changed. Where as entries into the last event were split amongst 5 categories (Games, Multimedia, Productivity, Web, and Enterprise), it seems that all of this year’s entries will be competing against each other regardless of category. The winner will be selected based on “both the application submitted and its supporting business plan.”
Last year’s winners (Poynt by Multiplied Media, Nobex Radio Companion by Nobex Technologies, and Strands Social Player by Strands Inc) got the opportunity to pitch their application to the BlackBerry Partners Fund for up to $150,000 in investment opportunities. This time around, one winner will take home $25,000 cash and a package worth $25,000 including mentoring sessions with RIM, BlackBerry Partner Fund investment opportunities, and an Alliance membership. Additionally, this year’s challenge will have 1 runner up who takes home $10,000 in cash.
More contest rules and details will be revealed when submissions open up on June 1st, 2009. The winner will be announced at the BlackBerry Developers Conference in November. Anyone with a working BlackBerry application can enter, as long as they’ve received no more than $1 million of outside investment.