Research in Motion (RIM) has kicked off its annual Blackberry World, its biggest developer event, on Tuesday, May 1, in Orlando, Florida, and it will run through May 3. This year's event is crucial for the company as RIM will need to prove itself substantially in order to keep its head above the water.

No Phones

If, however, you were expecting to see RIM's latest phones unveiled at the event, you're in for a disappointment. RIM is using the event to formally introduce its BlackBerry 10 operating system, opting for a software-heavy approach rather than focusing on hardware. "We are not unveiling any BlackBerry 10 hardware," a company representative told Cnet.

The annual BlackBerry World event, which is now more important than ever, is a chance for BlackBerry developers, enthusiasts and business partners to gain insight on RIM's latest, greatest, and future treats. While RIM once ruled the American smartphone landscape, it has seen a dramatic fall in market share and consumer interest, therefore this year may be RIM's final chance to prove that it can rise again from the ashes.

BlackBerry 10

RIM's last hope now is the BlackBerry 10 platform built on QNX, which will be the very core of this year's event. The new platform is a significant step forward from its older BlackBerry operating system, and right now it is RIM's best chance to turn things around. According to RIM's new CEO, Thorsten Heins, BlackBerry 10 is more than simple software for phones. During the company's last quarterly conference call, the CEO said he believes BlackBerry 10 will power multiple devices. Google and Android have already taken this path, with both their operating systems powering multiple types of mobile devices. Microsoft's Windows 8 OS will also be extended to PCs, laptops and tablets.

During the BlackBerry World event, the company plans to launch a beta version of its BlackBerry toolkit, and offer a Dev Alpha device to attendees. RIM insisted that this device is no indication of what BB10 smartphones will actually look like, but it should offer some idea of what to expect from BlackBerry 10 and RIM's software engineers.

What to Expect

In addition to the new platform unveiling, this year's event will also likely introduce the apps currently in development for BlackBerry 10, and developers will be able to show off demonstrations of what they are building for the new platform.

The lack of hardware may still be disappointing to many, but RIM said it plans to launch the first BlackBerry 10 smartphone in the second half of the year. Rumors indicate the phone may debut in August and go on sale in October. Last year, RIM introduced its BlackBerry Bold 9900 during the BlackBerry World conference, which fueled hopes of a similar move this year. For those who are unable attend, RIM is provide live coverage for the event.

(reported by Alexandra Burlacu, edited by Dave Clark)