Check out BlackBerry Mobile Conferencing in the Beta Zone

RIM has been on a kick lately of releasing a number of official apps. We’ve seen BlackBerry Protect, BlackBerry Traffic, BlackBerry Podcasts, and others released in the last year or so. The latest addition to that collection is BlackBerry Mobile Conferencing, which is now available in the Beta Zone. As you might imagine, this app makes conference calling that much easier. Not that conference calls are at all desirable in the first place. But if you have to join them, you might as well have the smooth interface of BlackBerry Mobile Conferencing. The most useful part of the app is the way it seamlessly integrates with your calendar. You can see that in the screenshot to your right (courtesy of PocketBerry). It pops up with the notification of the conference, and you can simply click Join Now to move into it. You can also create a conference call when you create a new calendar entry. As with many official RIM apps, there might be more robust ones on the market. For instance, I remember Ring2 making a strong impression at WES. But I’m always inclined to give the RIM apps a good, long look. Its apps are free, so they’re at least worth a try. Here’s what you’re getting with BlackBerry Mobile Conferencing:

• Calendar Integration: The BlackBerry Mobile Conferencing application integrates with the Calendar application on your BlackBerry smartphone for maximum convenience.
• One Click Join: When it’s time for your meeting appointment to start you get a pop-up that allows you to dial into the meeting without having to remember lengthy phone number and access code combinations
• Easy Reconnect: If your call accidentally drops from the conference, the application allows you to reconnect with one easy click.
• Smart Number Selection: When there are multiple phone numbers in the invitation for participants in different locations, the application is designed to choose the most appropriate number for you (limited to North American phone numbers only).
• Easy Conference Scheduling: Turn almost any meeting invite into a conference call with just a single click.
• Host Code Protection: When sending conference call meeting invitations using conference profile information, participants see only the information they need to join the call.

To give it a shot, head over to the Beta Zone and log in. Most, if not all, users will have access to it. Also, while you’re there, make sure to fill out your profile. Today and tomorrow RIM is giving away prizes to members with completed profiles.

About the Author

Joe Pawlikowski is the Senior Editor at MobileMoo.com and has been covering the mobile industry full time since 2007. When he's not writing about the tech scene, he can be found discussing his personal love - baseball (and more specifically the New York Yankees) as well as writing on his personal blog.