If you can't beat them, join them. Or, at least, borrow from their ecosystem.

That's the underlying message from RIM that its forthcoming tablet BlackBerry PlayBook is set to support Android apps – a RIM rep having let the move slip during a demo at Mobile World Congress.

More details have now be released, following the company's announcement of its record FY11 financials. 

Piggybacking on Android

According to RIM, PlayBook owners will be able to access two 'app players' on the PlayBook; one that will allow them to download and run BlackBerry Java apps, the other apps made for Android 2.3 (Gingerbread).

Rather than serving up an Android Market portal, RIM will require developers to submit their Android apps, with the company delivering titles to the consumer via what's essentially an emulator.

However, no mention of support for Android 3.0 (specifically aimed at Android tablets) apps has been made, though its integration at a later stage is no doubt a possibility.

Power of multiplatform

"The power that we have embedded [in PlayBook] creates one of the most compelling app experiences available in a mobile computing device today," said co-CEO and president Mike Lazaridis of the news.

"The upcoming addition of BlackBerry Java and Android apps for the BlackBerry PlayBook on BlackBerry App World will provide our users with an even greater choice of apps and will also showcase the versatility of the platform."

RIM is also set to the release the native SDK for the tablet's OS, allowing developers to work on C/C++ app development for the platform before it rolls out in the US on April 19.

HTML5, Adobe Flash and AIR, and BlackBerry's WebWorks SDK are also suppported, although more applicable for web apps than games. 

Apps away

Clearly, ensuring PlayBook has access to a sizable roster of apps from day one is the main motivation behind the move.

Rightly, RIM has recognised that the success of iOS and Android has more to do with the software available on their respective ecosystems rather than the hardware powering them.

By opening up PlayBook to Android apps, RIM both bolsters its own set-up and nullifies a large portion of the appeal of one of its major rivals.

It's unlikely Google will be too aggrieved either, with RIM's move expanding the reach of Android apps and making it a more appealing platform for developers as a result.

[source: RIM]