Two new programs are in the offing from Research In Motion (RIM) later this summer – the BlackBerry 6 operating system (BlackBerry OS6) and BlackBerry Protect, a ‘free’ data backup and protection utility that enables end users to manage their own device for safety.

Though RIM has released videos with teasers of the forthcoming features, the company has refrained from disclosing the release date and some other details of the new products. Nonetheless, it is being hoped that the new products will boast backward compatibility, so that the older BlackBerry models also get the advantage.

Going by the information forwarded by RIM, some of the key features of the BlackBerry OS6 will be - a redesigned home screen to facilitate navigation; context-sensitive pop-up menus; universal search options; a Webkit-powered browser; and new applications for integrating the news and social networks.

Featuring most of the qualities of a PC browser – like search, bookmarks, pinch-zooming, and tabbed browsing -, the OS6 browser will essentially display Web content in windows, follow links upon being clicked, maintain back-forward lists, and keep a track of the recently-visited pages.

Meanwhile, BlackBerry Protect will offer users some much-needed protection and control over their device; thanks to features like remote backup, lockdown, and data wiping. In addition, Protect – the invite-only, limited beta of which has already been announced - also offers a ‘restore device’ feature and the option of viewing the device’s present location on a map.