By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla
The bombshell of today's BlackBerry Live keynote in Orlando was the announcement that BlackBerry would be giving away its Crown Jewels. BBM or BlackBerry messenger is coming free to IOS and Android sometime Summer. BBM has long been the Ace of the BlackBerry OS, a key differentiating feature that's kept users loyal and something that competing platforms have had no real answer for, and now they will have it. For free.
One can't fault BlackBerry for covering all their bases. They have finally launched three BB10 devices, the innovative Z10, the retro-inspired QWERTY enabled Q10 and a more affordable Q5 for emerging markets and teenagers. Now it is time for them to leverage their most prized possession, BBM by making it a mainstay on rival platforms.
In the planned initial release, iOS and Android users would be able to experience the immediacy of BBM chats, including multi-person chats, as well as the ability to share photos and voice notes, and engage in BBM Groups, which allows BBM customers to create groups of up to 30 people. The screen sharing, voice and video features of BBM will likely follow later on. Of course, we need to consider that all of these have to be approved by Apple's App Store and Google Play, so it would be interesting how those two ecosystems receive this 'gift' from BlackBerry. Windows Phone gets no love this time around.
The BBM announcement makes sense now that we no longer require BES (BlackBerry Enterprise Servers) to enable the popular messaging platform, the writing was on the wall with the transition to BB10. There was no mention on how BlackBerry hopes to monetize this move. If BBM is given for free, how is BlackBerry going to make money from the app?
There's also the question of how competing applications like WhatsApp, Viber and others will react to the presence of an established messaging platform on various mobile operating systems. If these guys really want to compete with BBM then they need to do two things right away. Offer similar voice and video functions to existing users and make sure they are available in all platforms and all devices that BBM isn't going to be available to.
We also haven't seen what Apple's iOS 7 and the next Android OS have to offer in terms of BBM competing features. Google I/O is days away and Apple's WWDC is in June. Both might have announcements that eclipse what BlackBerry just put out.
For BBM users who jumped ship and moved to an iPhone or an Android device, this announcement means they can keep tabs on their BBM friends (provided those didn't jump ship to other platforms as well). For the BYOD crowd, BBM across the board is a big win all around since it can be the corporate messaging channel while iMessage and Google Plus or Facebook continue to be the personal messaging tools. This is a really interesting development and a bold move by BlackBerry. I applaud it. Let's hope it works out for them. Below is the fill press release from today's announcement.
----Full PR press release
Waterloo, ON – BlackBerry® (NASDAQ: BBRY; TSX: BB) today announced plans to make its ground-breaking mobile social network, BlackBerry® Messenger (BBM™), available to iOS® and Android™ users this summer, with support planned for iOS6, and Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) or higher, all subject to approval by the Apple App Store and Google Play. BBM sets the standard for mobile instant messaging with a fast, reliable, engaging experience that includes delivered and read statuses, and personalized profiles and avatars. Upon release, BBM customers would be able to broaden their connections to include friends, family and colleagues on other mobile platforms.
In the planned initial release, iOS and Android users would be able to experience the immediacy of BBM chats, including multi-person chats, as well as the ability to share photos and voice notes, and engage in BBM Groups, which allows BBM customers to create groups of up to 30 people.
“For BlackBerry, messaging and collaboration are inseparable from the mobile experience, and the time is definitely right for BBM to become a multi-platform mobile service. BBM has always been one of the most engaging services for BlackBerry customers, enabling them to easily connect while maintaining a valued level of personal privacy. We’re excited to offer iOS and Android users the possibility to join the BBM community,” said Andrew Bocking, Executive Vice President, Software Product Management and Ecosystem, at BlackBerry.
BBM is loved by customers for its “D” and “R” statuses, which show up in chats to let people know with certainty that their message has been delivered and read. It provides customers with a high level of control and privacy over who they add to their contact list and how they engage with them, as invites are two-way opt-in. iOS and Android users would be able to add their contacts through PIN, email, SMS or QR code scan, regardless of platform. Android users would also be able to connect using a compatible NFC-capable device.
BBM has more than 60 million monthly active customers, with more than 51 million people using BBM an average of 90 minutes per day. BBM customers collectively send and receive more than 10 billion messages each day, nearly twice as many messages per user per day as compared to other mobile messaging apps. Almost half of BBM messages are read within 20 seconds of being received; indicating how truly engaged BBM customers are.
Today, BlackBerry also announced BBM Channels, a new social engagement platform within BBM that will allow customers to connect with the businesses, brands, celebrities and groups they are passionate about. BlackBerry plans to add support for BBM Channels as well as voice and video chatting for iOS and Android later this year, subject to approval by the Apple App Store and Google Play.
If approved by Apple and Google, the BBM app will be available as a free download in the Apple® App StoreSMand Google Play store. Additional details about system requirements and availability will be announced closer to the launch.