[dbollman423]

It's Amazing,

"BlackBerry Messenger gets support for voice chats over Wi-Fi"
CBS News-One hour ago

"RIM Adds Free Voice Calling Over Wi-Fi to BlackBerry Messenger"
PC Magazine-3 hours ago

"BlackBerry Messenger 7 Adds Free Voice Calls Over Wi-Fi"
TechWeek Europe-6 hours ago

"BlackBerry Messenger Now does Voice Chats for Free over Wi-Fi"
Mashable-1 hour ago

"BlackBerry Enables Free Wi-Fi Calling with BBM Voice"
PC World-12 minutes ago

Apparently the tech world is veryenthusiastic about this development. I know you can do more with Face Time on Apple products, but can they go international on their platform as Kevin did on the video he posted earlier? I would think that this would get the attention of businesses with offices in different nations.

Well Done RIM!

[nico2004]

coming back home from work i hear on the radio that becouse of BBM voice Rim's share went up 37cents not much but made it to the stock market !!!

[jasonvan9]

Apparently the tech world is veryenthusiastic about this development. I know you can do more with Face Time on Apple products, but can they go international on their platform as Kevin did on the video he posted earlier? I would think that this would get the attention of businesses with offices in different nations.
Well Done RIM!

My company (canadian company) just yesterday started a swap program for the old feature phones for american blackberry bolds for a new project we are working on in the US because BBM was saving them TONS of $$$ in communication costs, this will only add to the savings! GO RIM!!!!

[Houshinto]

I'm actually surprised.

And here I thought the MSM would pass since it's doesn't fit their RIP RIM article rubric.

Glad I'm wrong.

[simu31]

...but can they go international on their platform as Kevin did on the video he posted earlier?

I'm sure Adam feels flattered

Using BBM Voice on BBM version 7 | CrackBerry.com

Si.

[Maxey05]

This BBM voice is awesome! But I just wish more people I knew had BlackBerrys and used BBM..

[shemaree09]

This BBM voice is awesome! But I just wish more people I knew had BlackBerrys and used BBM..

This! Without users, new BBM features are practically useless!

[simu31]

This! Without users, new BBM features are practically useless!

Damn those [more than] 60million BBM daily users.

I get your point, but I think you might be slightly overreacting.

Si.

[shemaree09]

Damn those [more than] 60million BBM daily users.

I get your point, but I think you might be slightly overreacting.

Si.

Nope. There are many threads about people (specifically in the U.S.) with little to no BBM contacts.

[dbollman423]

Nope. There are many threads about people (specifically in the U.S.) with little to no BBM contacts.

Actually, I am certain that there are millions of business/governmental users that would really look at this as a valuable tool and encourage its use. Thus a selling point. Even OS 6 devices will be supported. Every night I see commercials for Vonage to talk with family and friends back home. Well, when home is India, then they are probably using a BlackBerry. It is incentive. This technology is relatively new and if you are going to own a smart phone, why pay a monthly fee on top of the phone contract already for skype or vonage.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9930 using Tapatalk

[dentynefire]

Nope. There are many threads about people (specifically in the U.S.) with little to no BBM contacts.

All you need is one contact and it could be worth it. Its a free upgrade after all.

[W Hoa]

"their RIP RIM article rubric" - @Houshinto- well done!

[DrBit2011]

With support for OS5, OS6 and OS7.X a lot of people will have BBM VC (VoiceChat) when BBM7 goes public, so i think will be a new push for using BBM, also when BB10 como to light with BBM Video Chat, more and more will have intentions to buy a BlackBerry.

I think RIM show us BBM7 like a "preview" for the upcoming.

Regards

[dbollman423]

BlackBerry: People without borders!

Just BBM your friend and ask them to schedule to be near an internet cafe and badda bing badda boom free phone call. Cool!
Sent from my BlackBerry 9930 using Tapatalk

[ubizmo]

Yes, this is a Good Thing, and it will certainly attract some people back to BB. I wouldn't expect droves, but there will be people who will say, "I want that," and in the process they'll start thinking about BB10. It's a solid win in the communication aspect of smartphone functionality, but I really think it's a subtle way of starting to set up expectations for BB10.

[LuvULongTime]

I wonder if this is the first step to an eventual licensing out of BBM to other platforms? I hope so. I'd love to see BBM take on Skype.

[southlander]

This BBM voice is awesome! But I just wish more people I knew had BlackBerrys and used BBM..

They will. I am gaining contacts now. No longer losing them.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9930 using Tapatalk

[rgorman]

to the OP: yes, the apple facetime is certainly available internationally. my wife screams into her iPhone when facetiming to Ireland. just like Skype, she thinks the louder she screams the better they will see.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9810 using Tapatalk

[BB10BelieveIt]

Yes Facetime and Skype were "first", but will they be the best. There were plenty of other messaging programs and even text messages itself before BBM destroyed the competition. If BBM voice is done as good as BBM it will start to grab market share. I don't think people get the significance of BBM voice. If it is noticeably better than the competition and up to par with traditional voice calls than this will be a killer app in itself. This has the potential to consolidate the long distance voice market. It also disrupts those people hanging on to their landlines for cheap long distance. What it shows me is that the majority of the global carriers are really behind RIM or else they would not have let this go through. For them to loose all that revenue (long distance and landlines) means that they think that this will drive mobile sales big time, especially in emerging markets and travelling execs.

[belfastdispatcher]

Yes Facetime and Skype were "first", but will they be the best. There were plenty of other messaging programs and even text messages itself before BBM destroyed the competition. If BBM voice is done as good as BBM it will start to grab market share. I don't think people get the significance of BBM voice. If it is noticeably better than the competition and up to par with traditional voice calls than this will be a killer app in itself. This has the potential to consolidate the long distance voice market. It also disrupts those people hanging on to their landlines for cheap long distance. What it shows me is that the majority of the global carriers are really behind RIM or else they would not have let this go through. For them to loose all that revenue (long distance and landlines) means that they think that this will drive mobile sales big time, especially in emerging markets and travelling execs.

I got to test it right after a skype voice call and the difference is night and day, it's pretty much the same as a normal voice call over the cellular network.

[aragone79]

I wonder if this Voice Chat can be run not only by wifi but also via mobile network. If yes, then this will be great benefit for BB users.

[sam_b77]

I just feel that if RIM had done this two years ago they wouldn't be in the spot of bother they are in today.
They surely had the infrastructure to do it as they have implemented the same on existing OS7.

[texazzpete]

Yes Facetime and Skype were "first", but will they be the best. There were plenty of other messaging programs and even text messages itself before BBM destroyed the competition. If BBM voice is done as good as BBM it will start to grab market share. I don't think people get the significance of BBM voice. If it is noticeably better than the competition and up to par with traditional voice calls than this will be a killer app in itself. This has the potential to consolidate the long distance voice market. It also disrupts those people hanging on to their landlines for cheap long distance. What it shows me is that the majority of the global carriers are really behind RIM or else they would not have let this go through. For them to loose all that revenue (long distance and landlines) means that they think that this will drive mobile sales big time, especially in emerging markets and travelling execs.

Before you go into raptures about this being a 'disruptive experience' especially in emerging markets, please note the following

1. It's Wifi only...this means at any given time, both contacts have to be on Wifi. This will not be a commonplace scenario in many emerging markets

2. Unlike Skype, there are no desktop clients or ubiquity on other popular mobile OSes. For this reason, it's still vastly inferior to Skype.

[ichat]

Got my copy from the invitation email! Its freaking amazing! Talked to a few of my friends and it was crystal clear. At home, I will def use this instead of calls. Not cause its free, its overall so much better.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9860 on 7.1.0.714 with Tapatalk and my fingers

[OniPod]

I wonder if this Voice Chat can be run not only by wifi but also via mobile network. If yes, then this will be great benefit for BB users.

Not yet anyways. Only over WiFi (I expect that to change once the LTE devices come out) I also thought I read that Vchat would not be available for OS 5, but they are working on it.