IM+ for PlayBook Stuck in App World Approval Limbo for 3+ Months

This is really starting to get a bit ridiculous. We have told you in the past that Shape Services IM+ has been waiting for approval in App World since June 2nd of this year. The last time we mentioned it the app had been waiting for approval for 2+ months and RIM finally responded that it would be approved within 5-10 business days. That was 15 days ago. I get that RIM might be a bit busy with all of the BlackBerry 7 device launches but this is getting ridiculous. It has been well over 3+ months since the app was submitted to App World and VP level execs at RIM have been involved.

This is truly a shame since RIM is going to such lengths to encourage BlackBerry development and entice more developers to create BlackBerry apps. Shape is one of the most well known BlackBerry developers since 2003 and they are waiting months for their app to be approved. Its not even like the app competes with a RIM native app or does not perform a useful function. It is a multi platform chat client for the PlayBook. In other words an app that would probably easily become one of the best selling apps on the PlayBook.

I pinged some of my contacts at RIM about the issue and hopefully this time they will finally get it approved. Still from what we have heard from Shape this has already been taken pretty high up at RIM. Maybe RIM is going for a record of "Longest time we can make a developer wait for their app to be approved" for the 2011 BlackBerry Developer Challenge…

Thanks Del for pointing out the update from Shape’s Maria Dyatlova

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Shape Hears From RIM on PlayBook IM+ – Approval Coming Within 2 Weeks

We told you about IM+ for the BlackBerry PlayBook and RIM’s drawn out approval process. IM+ for the BlackBerry PlayBook has not been in the App World Review queue for over 2 months prompting Shape to speak out. Due to all the buzz created by them speaking out they finally heard from RIM’s Tyler Lessard, VP of Global Alliances and Developer Relations. He said that IM+ did not have a EULA (End User License Agreement) and admitted this should have been told to Shape much earlier. He said he will try to speed up the approval process for the next update with the EULA.

Here is the update Shape posted on Google+ (Thanks TD!)

Our management just had a call with Tyler Lessard, VP, Global Alliances and Developer Relations. Tyler pointed that app doesn’t have a EULA; this of course should have been noticed and reported earlier by AppWorld’s review team. Anyway Tyler confirmed he will try to speed up the approval process when we submit an update. We will surely do this ASAP.

Bla1ze over at CrackBerry pointed out more details about the situation posted on Shapes blog:

OK, as I wrote in my previous post, RIM is an organization where a lot of nice people are working.
Shape’s Development Head Alex and myself just had a talk with Tyler Lessard, RIM’s VP, Global Alliances and Developer Relations.
Tyler was really friendly and helpful and we have now a hope that IM+ for Playbook will be approved within two weeks or so. We understand that to approve such an complex app can take the same time or more as the development of IM+ for Playbook itself. Just as remember, the app is now for two months in the testing queue.
And the best of the talk: after years of our requests to RIM we got from Tyler a promise to consider BlackBerry Push usage for IM+. It would make user experience on the BlackBerry platform the same kind of beautiful like on iOS.
Please continue to follow-up the story, it will really help to make things done. And to celebrate the moment we will offer to our friends from crackberry.com 25 free licenses of IM+ Pro for BlackBerry right now and 25 free licenses of IM+ for Playbook after release.

It is really cool of Shape and CrackBerry to be giving away licenses but I really wish it would not take up to two weeks for this app to be available for the BlackBerry PlayBook. A EULA seems like such a petty reason to hold back an app especially after 2 months. Still at least now we know we are getting a native IM app for the PlayBook!

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