OS Update includes new BlackBerry Tag for NFC-enabled BlackBerry smartphones

The new BlackBerry® 7.1 Operating System (OS) from Research In Motion (RIM) is now available for download by customers in Australia. The new OS update incorporates a number of enhancements including a feature called BlackBerry® Tag for NFC-enabled BlackBerry smartphones.

BlackBerry 7.1 is now available from Vodafone and Optus. Devices powered by BlackBerry 7 OS – the BlackBerry® Bold™ 9900, Torch™ 9860 & 9810 and Curve™ 9360 – are compatible for the upgrade.

How to download the operating system update
Connect your BlackBerry 7 smartphone to your computer through a USB connection, visit www.blackberry.com/update from your computer, click “check for updates” and simply follow the on-screen instructions.

New BlackBerry 7.1 OS features include:

• BlackBerry      Tag: The BlackBerry 7.1 OS      incorporates a new feature called BlackBerry Tag which changes the way      BlackBerry users can share information and content. By simply tapping their      Near Field Communication (NFC)-enabled BlackBerry smartphone against      another NFC enabled BlackBerry smartphone, users can invite a friend to      BBM or exchange contact information, documents, URLs, photos and other      multimedia content. They can also pair their BlackBerry smartphone with a      NFC-enabled Bluetooth® device.

• Mobile      Hotspot: With BlackBerry 7.1, users      can be even more productive on the go by turning their BlackBerry      smartphone into a mobile hotspot that can be shared by up to 5 Wi-Fi®      -enabled devices, including laptops and tablets¹.

• Universal      Search: The Universal Search      capability has further been enhanced to help users find what they are      looking for. It now includes an auto-suggest feature that intelligently      filters Bing® search results to offer users a variety of relevant Web      sites based on their search terms.

• FM      Radio: The BlackBerry 7.1 OS will      also let BlackBerry Curve 9360 smartphone customers enjoy FM radio. The FM      radio circuitry is already built in to the Curve 9360 model and BlackBerry      7.1 provides users with a new app that allows them to tune in and enjoy      local FM radio stations. Listening to the FM radio does not require a data      plan or count as data usage.

For more information about BlackBerry 7.1 OS, visit www.blackberry.com/bb7.

¹ Mobile hotspot feature may require an additional data plan. Please check with your service provider.