BlackBerry hopes to make its mark in the mobile instant messaging space with its BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) app, fuelled by the good response which the app has received on the iOS and Android platforms since its launch.
According to Krishnadeep Baruah, senior director of marketing for Asia Pacific at BlackBerry, the app received 10 million downloads within the first 24 hours of its launch.
Since then, the number of BBM active users a month (those who send or receive data via BBM within a given 30-day period) has soared to more than 80 million, out of which more than 20 million are new users.
“We feel there’s a great opportunity here for BBM to be competitive and lead in this space which is rapidly growing,” he said in a phone interview with Bytz recently.
“With the emphasis that many are placing on personal information and privacy lately, we felt that it was the ideal time for BBM to extend its availability to iOS and Android users.”
According to Krishnadeep, the average BBM user currently spends around 90 minutes a day using the app.
“We’re positioning BBM as a private social network,” he explained.
“Our key focus is on privacy. Our PIN infrastructure allows users to add contacts to BBM without needing to share personal information such as their phone number. Another reason that it’s so secure is because it requires authentication from both sides.”
Every BBM user is assigned a unique PIN once they have created a BlackBerry ID for themselves on the app.
Nifty features
Users can add friends and family to their BBM contact lists by keying in a person’s PIN, scanning their barcode or by using NFC (near field communication).
Besides the typical one-to-one chats that can be carried out via BBM, users can also opt to have group conversations involving up to 30 people at a time. Messages can also be broadcasted to a person’s entire BBM contact list wherever desired.
Meanwhile, for those who have already registered for a BlackBerry ID on a prior device, moving their contacts onto a new Android or iPhone can be easily carried out by merely logging into the app on the new phone with the existing BlackBerry ID.
However, a user cannot access the same BBM profile on more than one phone at a time. Hence, separate BlackBerry IDs will need to be created for each of those devices.
As a whole, Krishnadeep shared that BlackBerry intends to provide a familiar and consistent experience for BBM users across all the mobile platforms that it operates on.
More to come
Presently, almost all of the features of BBM which are enjoyed by BlackBerry users have now been made accessible to iOS and Android users. The only exception would be the app’s voice and video chat capabilities, but he added that these features would be made available very soon.
“It’s still a bit early for us to pinpoint an exact date, but it will likely be available some time later this year,” he said.
Responding to a question on whether BlackBerry would be creating a version of BBM for Windows Phone users, Krishnadeep responded, “At the moment, we’re focusing on the platforms that have the largest market share, which is Android and iOS.”
Looking ahead, Krishnadeep acknowledged that the younger generation would to be a crucial market segment which BlackBerry would be working to capture.
“We will continue to look at the youth segment and to introduce features that are relevant and engaging to that segment,” he said.
In order to run the BBM app, you will need to have Android version 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) or iOS version 6 and above running on your device.
You can download BBM via Google Play Store (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bbm) or on the Apple App Store (https://itunes.apple.com/nz/app/bbm/id690046600?mt=8) for free.
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