Networking and connectivity overview
A BlackBerry® device uses radio communication technologies such as CDMA, GPRS, or Wi-Fi® technology, to communicate over wireless connections. BlackBerry devices work with different network transports over those radio technologies to connect to the Internet or a private network. Each transport offers different advantages. As a developer, you should choose the transport that is most appropriate for your requirements.
The BlackBerry® Java® SDK 7.0 includes the following APIs that you can use to open a network connection.
|
API |
Description |
BlackBerry Device Software version |
|---|---|---|
Network API |
The Network API provides a simple interface to access many connection-related options and network transports. |
5.0 and later |
Generic Connection Framework |
The GCF provides a flexible way to create network connections using the transport of your choice. |
4.0 and later |
Communication API |
The Communication API encapsulates all of the operations that are required to connect to an HTTP server that is located on the Internet or behind an organization's firewall. |
6.0 and later |
In addition to the functionality that each API provides, you should consider whether the API exists in the version of the BlackBerry® Device Software that your target devices are likely to run. For example, the Communication API requires BlackBerry Device Software 6.0. You would need to write your own code to perform similar tasks on devices that run BlackBerry Device Software 5.0 and earlier.
The BlackBerry solution also enables server-side applications to proactively push data to BlackBerry devices in a highly secure and reliable manner.
You can also use technologies such as Bluetooth® to communicate with accessories, and NFC to communicate with smart tags.