[scipizoa]

so with the beta for windows phone on the horizon, I have to sit and ask, Is bbm going cross platform killing blackberry, everyone keeps saying communication is blackberry strong point but now you really don't need blackberry anymore to utilize BBM, don't get me wrong I know this won't affect the BB hardcores here on the forums but i am speaking in terms of new users. My opinion i don't think it was a smart move, it would be like apple making imessage cross platform or google making hangouts [unless they already have] cross platform ;p

just gathering opinions is all.

[Bla1ze]

Nope - BBM for Windows Phone beta saw 10,000 signups within 24 hours | CrackBerry.com. BlackBerry seems to disagree with you.

[scipizoa]

blaze-san i seen that but i don't mean in terms of accounts i meant as in terms of as sales of blackberry devices.

[anon(1723145)]

I never liked that BBM went CP, but there was demand for it outside of BlackBerry. Even with the performance issues on iOS and Android a lot of non-blackberry users signed up and continue to use it. I expect the same thing to happen on windows phone.

Q10SQN100-2/10.2.1.3253

[gdurnt]

I think BBM is going to be a area what they can utilize advertising and selling products and with what I here BBM money. A secure system also for the transfer of funds.

Posted from my Z30

[shaleem]

I don't think so. Personally, I like having BBM on my Note 3 as well as on my Z10. I prefer BBM to other messaging platforms.

[npunk42]

I wonder how Android suffers when devs port apps to BB10? You think they sell less phones?

[savingblackberry]

No, nobody will buy a BB device for BBM. monetize BBM.
I told Blackberry in 2010 to make BBM cross platform.
If they listened to me then, stock would be over $45

[Tre Lawrence]

blaze-san i seen that but i don't mean in terms of accounts i meant as in terms of as sales of blackberry devices.

That has been on the downswing anyway. I think releasing BBM cross-platform was a needed move.

[scipizoa]

That has been on the downswing anyway. I think releasing BBM cross-platform was a needed move.

mm i don't know, maybe its because i'm on the outside looking in[don't own a bb product etc] but it seemed to me at first this was rims attempt at flaunting bbm and leaving some features stay on bb devices, but that doesn't seem to be the case, tbh i have no clue what rims thinking.

[eldricho]

mm i don't know, maybe its because i'm on the outside looking in[don't own a bb product etc] but it seemed to me at first this was rims attempt at flaunting bbm and leaving some features stay on bb devices, but that doesn't seem to be the case, tbh i have no clue what rims thinking.

People aren't buying BlackBerry devices for BBM anymore, hence why they decided to open it up to other platforms. It's better to open it up early (although I still think it should have been done atleast a year earlier) and get it growing fast before it gets buried under even more other rival cross platform messaging apps. An example is Microsoft and their decision to open Office up to the iPad and such. People weren't buying Surfaces to use office and started using alternatives, so to not lose business to other competitors, they decided to release it.

Posted via CB10

[DigitalMadness]

I think it has help BlackBerry as a company. Has it hurt device sales? The jury is still out on that one.

Posted via CB10

[MarsupilamiX]

I was one of those who called the BBMx move, shortly before it happened.

I called it a necessity back then, because BBM just isn't a real USP anymore.
Cross platform messengers saw huge amounts of growth and BlackBerry in their endless arrogance, saw no need to open up BBM.
Which was a huge failure because BBM could be today's Whatsapp...

So no, BBMx didn't screw BlackBerry is any way.
Apart from its launch.
But that was more of a BlackBerry screwing BlackBerry.

mm i don't know, maybe its because i'm on the outside looking in[don't own a bb product etc] but it seemed to me at first this was rims attempt at flaunting bbm and leaving some features stay on bb devices, but that doesn't seem to be the case, tbh i have no clue what rims thinking.

It's not RIM anymore. It's BlackBerry.
And the user you replied to, is totally correct.
Device sales were going down anyway, so why bother with keeping it closed off? Doesn't make sense.

Posted via CB10

[Mike3110]

I feel like it might have.

But then again BBM Isn't as popular as it was back when it was introduced and it got around text plans and basically gave everyone unlimited text. Now there's so many other texting apps that use data/WiFi over texting plans.

But I mostly believe BBRY Being late to the app side of smart phone is what threw it's popularity away.

Posted via CB10

[BBZ10wannabe]

BBRY may have actually saved themselves by doing so. It feels like it is almost too late but maybe not. People either like it (BBM) or want to like it. They don't seem to have the same animosity as they do with the brand (BlackBerry) as a whole so giving them a terrific BBM experience may actually help BBRY sales down the line by reminding consumers that BBRY is still here and they currently do something great for them. Granted this all hinges on BBM being great on those other platforms which can be a tall order.

[TioPepe78]

blaze-san i seen that but i don't mean in terms of accounts i meant as in terms of as sales of blackberry devices.

If BBM didn't go cross platform you would see it disappear forever, BBM is not selling phones for Blackberry since 2011-2012, people would (and has) gone Whatsapp all the way. With the present strategy BBM is growing again, and with the phones with BBM or not BBM the numbers were destined to go down, BBM can make people to believe in the brand again (maybe) but in the consumer devices area Blackberry has to do what they are doing now by trying to keep the markets where they are still strong or at least have an important market share, bring cheap phones, cheap is what will give you numbers in the long term I guess, I keep saying one year from now there was no Lumia anywhere in my country, now those cheap lumias are everywhere, they are sold under US$ 200, cheaper than the cheapest Android.

And my BBM contact list is growing again, and if you see the BBM Channel has surpassed the 2 million followers, they were 1 million in may I guess that is a sign of success also in BBM channels, of course I think that million comes from the BB users in Singapore, Indonesia, etc., migrating from old BB OS to the new ones and accessing to channels.

[adjdudley21]

so with the beta for windows phone on the horizon, I have to sit and ask, Is bbm going cross platform killing blackberry, everyone keeps saying communication is blackberry strong point but now you really don't need blackberry anymore to utilize BBM, don't get me wrong I know this won't affect the BB hardcores here on the forums but i am speaking in terms of new users. My opinion i don't think it was a smart move, it would be like apple making imessage cross platform or google making hangouts [unless they already have] cross platform ;p

just gathering opinions is all.

There are a few problems with your theory…

1. iMessage is an APP, and therefore can not be compared to iMessage, which is just a protocol

2. BBM as a stand alone app has already started monetizing off of its Cross Platformness (yes I made up a word) i.e stickers, eBBM, etc. and eventually through channels

3. And also, the sum of the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. People don't buy blackberry for BBM anymore than a person not buying blackberry because its Cross Platform….

4. BBM not going Cross Platform would be dumb, if I have a blackberry and want to free message and set up a community with my friends, I would have to get whatsapp and Groupme etc. So actually, Blackberry lost money waiting so long to make it cross platform because whatsapp and the likes were able to capitalize on a market that BBM would have dominated…

[LuvULongTime]

so with the beta for windows phone on the horizon, I have to sit and ask, Is bbm going cross platform killing blackberry, everyone keeps saying communication is blackberry strong point but now you really don't need blackberry anymore to utilize BBM, don't get me wrong I know this won't affect the BB hardcores here on the forums but i am speaking in terms of new users. My opinion i don't think it was a smart move, it would be like apple making imessage cross platform or google making hangouts [unless they already have] cross platform ;p

just gathering opinions is all.

This is just the beginning for BBM as a cross platform program. First messaging, then voice, video, payments and who knows what else. The payments piece is where they can potentially monetize it. This is far more valuable then keeping BBM exclusive to BB just to sell a few more phones. If a sole dependency on BBM is needed to for Blackberry to survive then they may as well shut the doors on the company as that is a total failure waiting to happen. Shifting to SW and services is the way to go with HW as a necessary evil, as opposed to being HW focused with SW being the necessary evil.

[Bolderholder]

OP..from my perspective BBM is only one aspect of the whole BlackBerry experience. BlackBerry's approach and OS involves how it handles other messaging functions, its apps, and tasks. So even though bbm resides in iPhones, android and now windows devices, you still end up functioning within your device's OS.

What keeps folks with BlackBerry has be to beyond bbm. It's part of a bigger picture that includes security, device hardware, functionality and the most importantly the OS. It's hard to summarize succinctly, however to your question, bbm shouldn't be what kills BlackBerry. If it does, it doesn't say much for everything else it does. And in my opinion, they do a lot things in a way that works for me.

[DaSchwantz]

People have to stop thinking of BlackBerry as a device sales company.

Posted via CB10

[Soulstream]

BBM hasn't been a reason for people buying BB for some time now. BBM should have went cross-platform a long time ago, and maybe (just maybe) Whatsapp wouldn't have become so popular

[rocker_man1]

I don't buy BlackBerry for bbm. I use it exclusively but that is not it. It is the hub and integration of business oriented portions of the phone. This is my only phone and I would not want any other phone than bb10. It was a similar reason I moved to a BB07 device before with the torch.

Mikescraftbeer.com - C00012735/ Mike Garson Photography - C00471EA8

[nabil114]

I do not think so. I think their products went out of favor.

[crackbrry fan]

BlackBerry needs to showcase BBM more, the feature is highly under utilized. They have a fantastic calling feature that for me is the best. This messenger system should be number one had BlackBerry gone cross-platform when they realized that hardware sales were slacking off, however see absolutely no reason why they can't continue growing now.

Posted via CB10

[MarsupilamiX]

I however see absolutely no reason why they can't continue growing now.
Posted via CB10

Let's say it like this... There is no reason why they wouldn't continue to grow.
But there are certain users who already use another messenger and who you won't get to switch (ever).
The reason lies within the user numbers and the ease of use other apps have.
With whatsapp having over 400 million users, there is currently no reason to switch to BBM as a cross platform messenger, if you already use whatsapp.
BBMx needs more features.

Posted via CB10