The New York Times became the latest company to end support for its BlackBerry apps, following earlier reports that RIM has been hit by a developer exodus.

According to Reuters, the publisher has seen a drop-off in usage from users of the device platform, with a spokesman stating that “we dedicate our resources where we think there’s the highest level of usage”.

The shift is embarrassing for RIM, placing BlackBerry in the same category as the Palm/HP Pre smartphone, which struggled to gain traction in the market.

The report said that the paper has not ruled-out support for the planned BlackBerry 10 platform, with it being “entirely possible” that it will work with the OS once it becomes available.

Analyst firm Baird Equity Research earlier this month said that it believed “many developers who planned to jump ship have already made the move, leaving a BlackBerry developer base that is smaller but increasingly loyal”.

RIM hit back, arguing: “The numbers in the report do not gel with what we’re seeing in the real world”.