Sad news: Telegram is doing what BBM should have done.
Telegram is doing what BBM should have immediately done after the Whatsapp sale.
They are capitalizing on the demand for a 'secure and private' messaging service. They have already been featured on my country's #1 news source, after hitting #1 in the Appstore. Again BBM is nowhere in sight, not even as a suggestion.
It is beyond me, that the people in charge of marketing BlackBerry are not immediately all over news like this. They do not even have to be right, or present facts, just put out a press release shouting "WE ARE NOW THE MOST SECURE AND FUNCTIONAL" and watch loads of people try your app. All they have to do is get the app trending after news like this hits, to gain much needed momentum.
They already have Canada, sure Maybe even the US and some Asian regions (legacy at least), but for the rest of the world, BBM is a stranger. And you do not talk to strangers. BBM desperately needs more media coverage, especially at crucial moments like the sale of the major competitor.
/rant.