BlackBerry has just announced that its hugely popular BBM messaging
service is going multi-platform: it will be released for Android and iOS as
a free app this summer. BBM will support iOS hardware running iOS 6
and above; the Android version will be compatible with version 4.0 (Ice
Cream Sandwich) and above. "It's time to bring BBM to a greater
audience," CEO Thorsten Heins said in announcing the expansion, "no
matter what mobile device they carry."
Though it's long been considered one of BlackBerry's strongest exclusive
offerings, Heins said that his company aims to deliver a "fully featured"
BBM experience on rival smartphone operating systems. "We're starting
with messaging and groups, but we'll bring voice, screen share, and of
course, channels later on," he said.
BLACKBERRY'S KILLER APP WON'T BE
AN EXCLUSIVE ANYMORE
"Why are we doing this now? It's a statement of confidence," Heins went
on. He said that BlackBerry 10's prospects are "so strong that we are
confident that BBM can become an independent messaging solution." In
a press release, BlackBerry notes that BBM's successful move to iOS and
Android depends upon the approval of Apple and Google. Assuming
things go according to plan, BBM will face no shortage of competition
from WhatsApp and other messaging apps that already enjoy enormous
success across mobile platforms.
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