Research In Motion (RIM) unveiled on Tuesday its plans to expand the company’s support for Windows Mobile-based devices with the introduction of a new software application suite. The new software will allow third-party manufacturers to run the popular BlackBerry software applications and services on their Windows Mobile 6 smartphones and other mobile devices.

RIM plans to begin offering the new software application suite later this year for select devices based on Windows Mobile 6. Once installed, the software will provide users with a virtual BlackBerry application, an exact copy of the same software loaded on a Blackberry Smartphone device.

The new software will also include support for BlackBerry email, phone, calendar, address book, tasks, memos, browser, instant messaging and other applications developed for the BlackBerry platform.

Devices running the BlackBerry application suite will be able to connect to BlackBerry services via BlackBerry Enterprise Server as well as BlackBerry Internet Service.

“Extending BlackBerry applications to a broader range of devices is an important element of RIM’s strategy to provide an open platform that supports industry standards and addresses the various needs of our customers and partners,” said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at Research In Motion.

“This new software will provide a range of important benefits, including easier support of Windows Mobile-based devices within BlackBerry Enterprise Server environments, a consistent user interface for BlackBerry applications across various devices, and the ability to run third-party applications developed for the BlackBerry platform.” added Lazaridis.

The new BlackBerry application suite is expected to fully utilize Windows Mobile 6 functionalities and will appear as an icon on the screen in the same manner as other third-party applications.

Once the user clicks the BlackBerry icon, a suite of BlackBerry applications will load and will feature the familiar user interface of a BlackBerry Smartphone.

The device’s existing Windows Mobile applications are preserved, allowing the user to easily and quickly switch between the Windows Mobile applications and the BlackBerry application suite.