Research In Motion announced a series of updates to its Blackberry platform including enhanced messaging and collaboration tools as well as improved security and expanded application development support.

“RIM continues to expand the capabilities of the multifaceted BlackBerry platform to allow an increasingly rich and productive mobile experience for our customers,” said Mike Lazaridis, president and co-CEO at RIM, in a statement. Lazaridis also said the new enhancements will make BlackBerry smartphones “more powerful than ever and even easier to manage.”

Updates include: upgrades to the BlackBerry Enterprise Server and BlackBerry device software that promise to enhance e-mail management, including remote search capabilities, and collaboration tools; the ability for users to download and edit documents on the device; advanced enterprise instant messaging and presence capabilites; over-the-air software upgrades; expanded compatibility including certification with Microsoft Exchange 2007 SP1 and IBM Lotus Domino versions 7.03 and 8.0.

RIM announced these enhancements at IBM’s Lotusphere conference in Orlando. The company said the new developments will roll out during the first half of the year.