RIM is “almost redefining what a mobile computing platform is” with its anticipated BlackBerry 10 operating system, with the option to take the technology beyond devices into other sectors such as automotive, according to Vivek Bhardwaj, head of software portfolio for the company.

Speaking on the sidelines of RIM’s BlackBerry 10 Jam event in London earlier this month, the executive argued that despite the head-start and momentum behind platforms such as iOS and Android, and to an increasing extent Microsoft’s Windows Phone, there is still space in the market for alternatives.

“I certainly don’t believe in a trillion-dollar plus industry with only two players. Actually, I think there’s more than enough space for four or five platforms. It’s very short-sighted if you think there are only going to be three ecosystems,” he said.

Unsurprisingly, Bhardwaj refused to be drawn on the possibility of the company opening its platform to third parties, as has been widely suggested following RIM’s announcement that it is exploring its strategic options. “How, when, if we do this as a strategy is still a work in progress. Our first step is our products, get them built, get the excitement there,” he noted.

Despite the lack of BlackBerry 10 devices available to consumers – or even firm dates as to when these will be made available – the executive described developer support for the anticipated platform as “a testament to their faith” in its efforts. “What we’ve really seen is native developers, certainly gaming companies and some of the big, big names in the industry, have jumped on board and started developing.”

Apparently, developers have been able to move apps from the PlayBook, which is underpinned by the same QNX technology as BlackBerry 10, to the prototype Dev Alpha smartphone “in hours.” According to Bhardwaj: “it wasn’t a significant amount of work. We kind of expect this for the bulk of apps, but naturally there will be certain apps where they have utilised the tablet real estate or something specific around the tablet, and they may need to do some tailoring.”

As part of its efforts to build developer momentum for the OS, RIM has been distributing Dev Alpha at its events worldwide. Bhardwaj said: “Developers have been telling us for quite some time that we need to provide hardware, and we need to provide it in a timely fashion. With PlayBook, we delivered over 20,000 to developers. It was great, but it was kind of at the same time we were launching commercially, so it didn’t let them get ahead.”

In terms of app development, the company’s focus is native and HTML5, “because we believe these are the predominant and leading development environments.” However, it is also intending to continue support for its Android runtime and Adobe’s out-of-favour AIR in the meantime.

“With the Android runtime, what we are noticing is that there is a first step, which is ‘I’m an Android developer, I can quickly put my apps onto BlackBerry.’ And then, they look across and say ‘what else is there?’ So they realise they can move to native and how easy it is, they look at things like Adobe AIR and bring across AIR apps. We’ve kind of found the Android developer now is becoming a BlackBerry developer,” Bhardwaj said.

“HTLM5 is still an early adopter technology, the big multimedia houses out there and those that are developing on Adobe AIR today will continue to do so for quite a while, until they get an HTML5 environment that gives them all the APIs, all the glossy capabilities that Adobe does, and the professional publishing-type capabilities. Until they get that, there will be this kind of transition, and we’re just riding that tradition out for them,” he continued.