BlackBerry's Adele Beachley says the company is poised for strong growth in the region.

Since its inception 10 years ago, the BlackBerry smartphone continues to seduce the public and jostle for position as a 'must have' gadget for busy people, while constantly evolving with new features.

The company is cementing its sales success in the Asia Pacific with the opening of its first office in the region yesterday. The sleek new premises is centrally located on the Pacific highway in the North Sydney CBD and boasts state of the art training facilities, a research and development centre, a strategic partner marketing centre and technical support services.

BlackBerry increases productivity

BlackBerry frees up more time for busy people.

According to Dermot Crowley from Adapt Training Solutions, BlackBerry's range of time management tools including the phone, email and internet platforms 'work on increasing productivity' in and out of the office.

Features such as the 'Task Manager' function can help with 'mind clutter' according to Crowley and the 'Voice Memo Recorder allows you to playback information you have earlier recorded and even email it to someone. “The BlackBerry deals with email better than any other handhelds out there," Crowley added.

BlackBerry 'must have' gadget
According to Research In Motion (BlackBerry parent company) Asia Pacific regional director, Adele Beachley, the device is well on its way to becoming a staple item in the lives of busy people. Even in this tough economic climate, Beachley believes demand for wireless handhelds will not wane "People aren't going to give up access to mobile data," she said.

This is also borne out in strong growth forecasts, particularly in Australia. "We have a very strong roadmap…Australia is a very important market, poised for significant growth. Building a team here, demonstrates our commitment for the growth platform," Beachley said.

Courting the female market
While RIM does not have standalone sales figures for its female market, Beachley is confident that women are embracing the product. "You only have to look at the success of the Pearl series of BlackBerry…our Pink Pearl in particular, has been a big seller," she added.

As a busy woman herself, travelling the globe for work while attempting to set aside enough family time, Beachley believes the BlackBerry has changed her life, adding that “an amazing freedom comes with being able to communicate from anywhere".