The popular BlackBerry service will finally launch in Taiwan this week after being delayed in order to gain regulatory approval, a company representative confirmed Monday. BlackBerry Pearl The service was originally slated to be up and running over the summer, and even a formal ceremony in September did not turn out to be the launch date for Research In Motion (RIM) and its local partner Taiwan Mobile. The island’s National Communications Commission finally gave the service a green light last week.BlackBerry messaging and Internet access services will officially launch in Taiwan Wednesday.Taiwan will become the 17th country in the Asia-Pacific region to adopt the BlackBerry, but the service could face stiff competition on an island full of companies loyal to Microsoft. The robust PC industry in Taiwan depends mainly on Microsoft for its Windows OS and other software. The largest handset maker backing the Microsoft Windows Mobile OS, High Tech Computer (HTC), is also from Taiwan. RIM has worked with local handset makers to avoid potential conflicts. Dopod International last week announced that two of its Windows Mobile handsets will be able to use BlackBerry services. The company installed RIM’s BlackBerry Connect software on its 838Pro and C720W devices, which are aimed at users in Asia. Dopod obtained the software through an existing licensing relationship between HTC and RIM. Dopod was bought by HTC earlier this year. Users will be able to use the Dopod Windows Mobile-based handsets to access BlackBerry services with support for both BlackBerry Enterprise Server and BlackBerry Internet Service.-Dan Nystedt, IDG News Service (Taipei Bureau)Related Links: RIM Hits Samsung With Lawsuit over BlackJack Name Cingular to Offer RIM BlackBerry Pearl Dec. 1 RIM Targets Consumer Market With BlackBerry Pearl BlackBerry on the Edge (CIO.com feature on the RIM/NTP patent fiasco)Check out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content brandpost Sponsored by SAP When natural disasters strike Japan, Ōita University’s EDiSON is ready to act With the technology and assistance of SAP and Zynas Corporation, Ōita University built an emergency-response collaboration tool named EDiSON that helps the Japanese island of Kyushu detect and mitigate natural disasters. By Michael Kure, SAP Contributor Dec 07, 2023 5 mins Digital Transformation brandpost Sponsored by BMC BMC on BMC: How the company enables IT observability with BMC Helix and AIOps The goals: transform an ocean of data and ultimately provide a stellar user experience and maximum value. By Jeff Miller Dec 07, 2023 3 mins IT Leadership brandpost Sponsored by BMC The data deluge: The need for IT Operations observability and strategies for achieving it BMC Helix brings thousands of data points together to create a holistic view of the health of a service. By Jeff Miller Dec 07, 2023 4 mins IT Leadership how-to How to create an effective business continuity plan A business continuity plan outlines procedures and instructions an organization must follow in the face of disaster, whether fire, flood, or cyberattack. Here’s how to create a plan that gives your business the best chance of surviving such an By Mary K. Pratt, Ed Tittel, Kim Lindros Dec 07, 2023 11 mins Small and Medium Business IT Skills Backup and Recovery Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe