Seems like RIM has changed their approach to open-source operations since the market has spoken clearly in their acceptance of the Android platform. Companies that have had such a stranglehold on the software that runs on devices that we own and operate are losing their grip.
Open-source has been criticized for having a poorly developed user-interface and confusing features and settings. This is because of the often eccentric programers and developers that spend their time designing these applications themselves. Often times this is because the original intent of the program/application may have been designed to only be used by original developer and then later released to the general public. This has changed as many companies have seen the benefit of creating a "base" mobile software in-house, and then publishing the source for the design and allow other private developers and programers to produce applications and services for use on their devices.
Hence this recent move from proprietary business software to publicly available source code by RIM. They even tout the ability of developers to produce new applications "Within days" and with "No Java skills required." This is a major change from even the past few years as Blackberry applications are notorious for being difficult to develop. Many of the abilities of Blackberry devices are locked down and cannot be utilized within 3rd party applications. Like the camera, in order to use the camera for an application, the application must launch the proprietary camera application. The ability for a 3rd party app to use features and functions of a device is necessary in today's advanced technological state. It's a big step for RIM and possibly will provide them a much needed market share boost in order to stay competitive in this fast-paced development environment.