RIM has opened BB10s App World for submissions from app developers. As long as theyre touch-controlled apps, that is.

While BB10 is expected to be accompanied with both touchscreen-only handsets and ones with keyboards, its focus seems to be on the former at the moment – understandably, as it isnt home turf for RIM, and theyre trying to build their app catalogue ahead of the BB10 launch. In that vein, its worth noting that RIM has promised developers a guaranteed app revenue of $10,000 – with RIM itself paying the difference if their app doesnt meet that mark.

Exactly when BB10 will launch, however, is still in question. Rumours are circulating of the OS being delayed until March 2013 – thats according to Jeffries analyst Peter Misek. It had been expected in January, though this would still mean it meets RIMs official launch deadline of Q1, 2013.

Going soft?

Meanwhile, a RIM executive has announced that the company will be extending its mobile security offering to Android and iOS devices. Exactly what this will entail is unclear, but it seems an odd move for a company built on the enterprise-level security of their devices, something which CEO Thorsten Heins pointed to as RIMs focus going forward six months ago.

This could either be a sign of RIM reneging on that, and embracing the BBM-addicted youth market instead, or even the companys first step out of the hardware market and into software. With RIMs struggling fortunes over the last 12 months, its easy to speculate, but well have to wait and see.