[anon(1464249)]

This is essentially a continuance to this post http://forums.crackberry.com/general...re-bbm-834103/
I revisited this mindset to comment about the latest 'update' to BBM, stickers.

I'm glad there is work being done on the BBM client and now with the acquisition of WhatsApp by Facebook, I'm betting the BBM team is shifting a gear higher. What I am sad to see, is that basic functionality (as described in the first post) or simple tweaks aren't available yet.

Chris posted an article about including a walkie-talkie style feature (see Voxer) Here�€™s one way BlackBerry could become a huge consumer brand again | CrackBerry.com something he has been dropping into posts he made over the last year, yet there's no sign of anything like this in BlackBerry yet...shame

Here are my biggest gripes with BBM at this time.

1.The way images are displayed in a chat is ridiculous compared to the competition
BBM => Press Paperclip in chat - Press Picture+ button - Press Picture Icon - Select picture (only one!!!!) - Press send. 5 taps and another tap for your recipient to watch it cause the thumbnail is tiny and shows irrelevant information like picture name and size (people don't need this visible in chat).
WhatsApp => Press More in chat - Press Add Picture button - Select picture(s) - Press Send. 4 taps and the picture is displayed beautifully in chat.

This might seem like a small difference but to users that one extra tap and the fact it shows pretty ugly in chat is one of the reasons they dislike BBM (also not forgetting to mention the fact you can't send multiple pictures....whatsapp with that?)

2. Voice calling
This is merely a hardware/backend issue. I would love to see BlackBerry Messenger succeed and become the most widely used communications application worldwide in both business and consumer markets, and it's evolving in the right direction. They just need to start polishing features instead of tacking them on and hoping for the best.

BBM Voice is amazing, it provides quality voice calls and stability just by using data but in order to have it make a dent, it needs to start growing and flexing it's muscles.

• Group calling, put call on hold (user defined music), voicemail on the device as a BBM chat voicenote, transfer call to other bbm user, auto message when not available, Landline calling, SecFlag contacts...
• Give us these options for free and maybe add in some premium features to monetize them like this:
• Group Calling => premium version has unlimited persons in group call, free version has a max of 3
• On Hold => premium version has user defined music and no time limit, free version has standard music and time limit of 60 seconds
• Voicemail => premium version has visual voicemail, custom voicemail message, access to voicemail through BBID , free version just gives a standard not-available message and sends a voicenote in a chat
• Landline calling => VOIP backend.
• Transfer call => ....
• SecFlag Contacts => Security Flagged Contacts. This would simply be a status you can set a contact to which will instruct BBM to initiate a key handover first prior to calling a recipient in order to encrypt the call using custom security keys. This could be a premium feature, allowing business men to set the flag on some of their contacts, indicating they want elevated encryption when initiating a voice call with that contact.

Attachment 250119

1. Upon initiating a voice call with a SecFlag contact, the unique key of the both users get sent to a separate BlackBerry server
2. By using the Diffie-Hellman method, a common secret key or Master Unique Encryption Key is created
3+4. This key is sent back to both participants
5. The datastream of the BBM Voice call is encrypted using this Master key

3. The Granddaddy of security is getting behind
BlackBerry is THE reference for security in the mobile space and has been for some time but... it's sorely lacking in security when it comes to BBM. It's so bad that when WhatsApp was acquired by Facebook several Dutch websites recommended users to switch to an app called 'Telegram' to protect their security. As a company BlackBerry was once synonymous to security but these days have passed. Telegram offers hardened security measures and a cloud that allows you to pick up your chats where you left off on any device that's running one of their clients.
Basic encryption isn't even present in BBM, the only thing BlackBerry does, is obfuscate the datastream not encrypt!

As a company hammering on security they are falling short to the competition and it's becoming embarrassing

4. Common features found everywhere else but BBM

• Desktop client (mac + windows)
  
  All i'm waiting for is a desktop client for Windows and Mac and maybe some additional options like 'record video chat', 'record audio only',... together with some privacy options so you know when someone is recording the chat
• Group chat ++
  
  This is a biggie. Group chat in BBM is great and functions like it should. However it's greatly lacking in features yet has so much potential. This should be made more interactive/engaging. What good is a group chat if you can't use it form common things, like calculating what everyone in the group owes to pay a bill, planning a birthday party with tasks users can strike out in a group, planning a budget for a gift, etc...
• Gallery view
  This is already supported in group chat, so why not allow a user to see a gallery of video/photo/audio/files that he has sent/received to another individual BBM user... no brainer really.
  
• Backgrounds
  
  How is it that we still can't change the background in a chat window....?
• Text colors
  
  So we can change the colors of the bubbles yet we can't change the text itself...Come on BlackBerry. Do remember to include an option to override the persons text settings on your end. Just in case it turns out to be a coloring book.
• Show avatar
  
  Show the avatar next to the text message itself instead of on top.
• Random chat partner
  
  Would be fun and an attractive feature for new BBM users to play with. -opt in
• Basic profiles
  
  Having to 'review' and add request just by name and whatever he/she wrote in the text box (if anything besides the default placeholder at all) is a tedious job and results in lots of deletions within hours of adding a person. Why not allow people to create a basic profile so whenever you get an add request you will see for example: Picture, Sex, Location, Local time. This would be a huge improvement and not to mention an advantage over the competition. Consolidate this with BBID and you're good to go.
• Immediate share
  
  whatever media file or data file that's being sent between two BBM users, a simple tap on the file in chat allowing to share to social sites/email/whatever would be a nice little timesaver.
• Private chat
  
  The concept is simple, when a private chat is requested or initialized there will be no chat history, no screenshots and no media or data files retention on either side. Once you're done talking in private chat mode, it's all gone.
• Share experiences
  
  Allow a user to put a picture / video in 'share' mode so others who he has personally selected can view it. (This is the equivalent of your own personal wall within BBM so all users or a select group you choose can view whatever you share) Consolidate this with BBID and you're good to go.
• Auto save options for received data files
  
  Automatically save certain file types that get sent....Thinking of image files/video files/documents in group that's tagged as business,...
• Location chat check
  
  A feature found in Wikitude, scan the location to find possible BBM friends by their profile and/or distance...-opt in, Consolidate this with BBID and you're good to go.
• Collaboration options
  
  This is pretty vague but this could be a document in a group that can be edited by all parties and it automatically gets updated in the group with the editing history, this can also be a task list that people can share in a group, commit to a task on the list and notify when done (would be great with heavy business users and students)
• Mute individual/group notifications
  
  The option to shut someone or a group up for a period of time
• Send self-destruct data files and messages within chat.
  
  Files or messages that self destruct after viewing once or after a given amount of time.
• WP version
  
  Can't believe this isn't in the making yet....Get it on as much platforms as you can.

You get my drift. Evolve, Monetize, Profit.

[kbz1960]

Sometimes I think they need people like you there, who knows if they could get it done anyway. Most all excellent points.

Are they in their own little world still?

[adjdudley21]

This is essentially a continuance to this post http://forums.crackberry.com/general...re-bbm-834103/
I revisited this mindset to comment about the latest 'update' to BBM, stickers.

I'm glad there is work being done on the BBM client and now with the acquisition of WhatsApp by Facebook, I'm betting the BBM team is shifting a gear higher. What I am sad to see, is that basic functionality (as described in the first post) or simple tweaks aren't available yet.

Chris posted an article about including a walkie-talkie style feature (see Voxer) Here�€™s one way BlackBerry could become a huge consumer brand again | CrackBerry.com something he has been dropping into posts he made over the last year, yet there's no sign of anything like this in BlackBerry yet...shame

Here are my biggest gripes with BBM at this time.

1.The way images are displayed in a chat is ridiculous compared to the competition
BBM => Press Paperclip in chat - Press Picture+ button - Press Picture Icon - Select picture (only one!!!!) - Press send. 5 taps and another tap for your recipient to watch it cause the thumbnail is tiny and shows irrelevant information like picture name and size (people don't need this visible in chat).
WhatsApp => Press More in chat - Press Add Picture button - Select picture(s) - Press Send. 4 taps and the picture is displayed beautifully in chat.

This might seem like a small difference but to users that one extra tap and the fact it shows pretty ugly in chat is one of the reasons they dislike BBM (also not forgetting to mention the fact you can't send multiple pictures....whatsapp with that?)

2. Voice calling
This is merely a hardware/backend issue. I would love to see BlackBerry Messenger succeed and become the most widely used communications application worldwide in both business and consumer markets, and it's evolving in the right direction. They just need to start polishing features instead of tacking them on and hoping for the best.
BBM Voice is amazing, it provides quality voice calls and stability just by using data but in order to have it make a dent, it needs to start growing and flexing it's muscles.
Group calling, put call on hold (user defined music), voicemail on the device as a BBM chat voicenote, transfer call to other bbm user, auto message when not available, Landline calling, SecFlag contacts...
Give us these options for free and maybe add in some premium features to monetize them like this:
Group Calling => premium version has unlimited persons in group call, free version has a max of 3
On Hold => premium version has user defined music and no time limit, free version has standard music and time limit of 60 seconds
Voicemail => premium version has visual voicemail, custom voicemail message, access to voicemail through BBID , free version just gives a standard not-available message and sends a voicenote in a chat
Landline calling => VOIP backend.
Transfer call => ....
SecFlag Contacts => Security Flagged Contacts. This would simply be a status you can set a contact to which will instruct BBM to initiate a key handover first prior to calling a recipient in order to encrypt the call using custom security keys. This could be a premium feature, allowing business men to set the flag on some of their contacts, indicating they want elevated encryption when initiating a voice call with that contact.

Attachment 250119

1. Upon initiating a voice call with a SecFlag contact, the unique key of the both users get sent to a separate BlackBerry server
2. By using the Diffie-Hellman method, a common secret key or Master Unique Encryption Key is created
3+4. This key is sent back to both participants
5. The datastream of the BBM Voice call is encrypted using this Master key

3. The Granddaddy of security is getting behind
BlackBerry is THE reference for security in the mobile space and has been for some time but... it's sorely lacking in security when it comes to BBM. It's so bad that when WhatsApp was acquired by Facebook several Dutch websites recommended users to switch to an app called 'Telegram' to protect their security. As a company BlackBerry was once synonymous to security but these days have passed. Telegram offers hardened security measures and a cloud that allows you to pick up your chats where you left off on any device that's running one of their clients.
Basic encryption isn't even present in BBM, the only thing BlackBerry does, is obfuscate the datastream not encrypt!

As a company hammering on security they are falling short to the competition and it's becoming embarrassing

4. Common features found everywhere else but BBM

• Desktop client (mac + windows)
  
  All i'm waiting for is a desktop client for Windows and Mac and maybe some additional options like 'record video chat', 'record audio only',... together with some privacy options so you know when someone is recording the chat
• Group chat ++
  
  This is a biggie. Group chat in BBM is great and functions like it should. However it's greatly lacking in features yet has so much potential. This should be made more interactive/engaging. What good is a group chat if you can't use it form common things, like calculating what everyone in the group owes to pay a bill, planning a birthday party with tasks users can strike out in a group, planning a budget for a gift, etc...
• Gallery view
  This is already supported in group chat, so why not allow a user to see a gallery of video/photo/audio/files that he has sent/received to another individual BBM user... no brainer really.
  
• Backgrounds
  
  How is it that we still can't change the background in a chat window....?
• Text colors
  
  So we can change the colors of the bubbles yet we can't change the text itself...Come on BlackBerry. Do remember to include an option to override the persons text settings on your end. Just in case it turns out to be a coloring book.
• Show avatar
  
  Show the avatar next to the text message itself instead of on top.
• Random chat partner
  
  Would be fun and an attractive feature for new BBM users to play with. -opt in
• Basic profiles
  
  Having to 'review' and add request just by name and whatever he/she wrote in the text box (if anything besides the default placeholder at all) is a tedious job and results in lots of deletions within hours of adding a person. Why not allow people to create a basic profile so whenever you get an add request you will see for example: Picture, Sex, Location, Local time. This would be a huge improvement and not to mention an advantage over the competition. Consolidate this with BBID and you're good to go.
• Immediate share
  
  whatever media file or data file that's being sent between two BBM users, a simple tap on the file in chat allowing to share to social sites/email/whatever would be a nice little timesaver.
• Private chat
  
  The concept is simple, when a private chat is requested or initialized there will be no chat history, no screenshots and no media or data files retention on either side. Once you're done talking in private chat mode, it's all gone.
• Share experiences
  
  Allow a user to put a picture / video in 'share' mode so others who he has personally selected can view it. (This is the equivalent of your own personal wall within BBM so all users or a select group you choose can view whatever you share) Consolidate this with BBID and you're good to go.
• Auto save options for received data files
  
  Automatically save certain file types that get sent....Thinking of image files/video files/documents in group that's tagged as business,...
• Location chat check
  
  A feature found in Wikitude, scan the location to find possible BBM friends by their profile and/or distance...-opt in, Consolidate this with BBID and you're good to go.
• Collaboration options
  
  This is pretty vague but this could be a document in a group that can be edited by all parties and it automatically gets updated in the group with the editing history, this can also be a task list that people can share in a group, commit to a task on the list and notify when done (would be great with heavy business users and students)
• Mute individual/group notifications
  
  The option to shut someone or a group up for a period of time
• Send self-destruct data files and messages within chat.
  
  Files or messages that self destruct after viewing once or after a given amount of time.
• WP version
  
  Can't believe this isn't in the making yet....Get it on as much platforms as you can.

You get my drift. Evolve, Monetize, Profit.

Now I hear you say all these these that could make BBM so awesome and the the lack there of makes it the slow kid in the back of the class.. However, which competitor had Group Chat with the ability to have tasks and calendar events added at launch??? Which competitor had voice calls within the first 6months of launch?? Certainly not Whatsapp… Furthermore, I suspect whatsapp has the user base it has because it was released in, lets see, 2009.. Thats a good 5 years, nearing 6years… Yes all of those things sound amazing… but even if it had those features right now, its not going to magically catch whatsapp in user base over night.. I suspect what BBM needs to do, is continue to push frequent updates with bug fixes first, and new stable features 2nd… Cause nobody wants to use an app that doesn't work… BBM has already made a name for itself, it needs to build on that name by building an app that works… IOS isn't IOS because its feature heavy, IOS sales what it sales because it works, simple and plain….. the features come second…..

[chrizrun30]

I wish Chen & his management read this

[anon(1464249)]

Sometimes I think they need people like you there, who knows if they could get it done anyway. Most all excellent points.

Are they in their own little world still?

Don't get me wrong, the fact they're releasing a beta with stickers means they are listening to consumers and working on improving the service but it's all so fragmented and slow. Seriously, stickers? This is the new BBM feature they are beta testing? I'm no coder but I'm guessing BBM is being coded by one guy or they're just not interested.

I'm suspecting that the BBM team has just that, one team that works on the entire program, while it should have 2. One consumer team and one business team.
Consumer team would occupy themselves with new emoticons, stickers, layout, etc... Business team would occupy themselves with security, encryption, VOIP, etc...

In my opinion, it takes too long to get a feature out and at this rate, we'll never see BBM transform into a viable competitor on the IM market.
Hands down the most pressing issue they should work on right now is getting it more user friendly in terms of sharing and getting it to the desktop.

Now I hear you say all these these that could make BBM so awesome and the the lack there of makes it the slow kid in the back of the class.. However, which competitor had Group Chat with the ability to have tasks and calendar events added at launch??? Which competitor had voice calls within the first 6months of launch?? Certainly not Whatsapp… Furthermore, I suspect whatsapp has the user base it has because it was released in, lets see, 2009.. Thats a good 5 years, nearing 6years… Yes all of those things sound amazing… but even if it had those features right now, its not going to magically catch whatsapp in user base over night.. I suspect what BBM needs to do, is continue to push frequent updates with bug fixes first, and new stable features 2nd… Cause nobody wants to use an app that doesn't work… BBM has already made a name for itself, it needs to build on that name by building an app that works… IOS isn't IOS because its feature heavy, IOS sales what it sales because it works, simple and plain….. the features come second…..

BBM => 60 million active users
WhatsApp => 450 million active users

Your point is moot.
Which competitor had compressed/efficient data? Which competitor had push email? It used to matter, but not anymore. Technology evolves, companies should evolve as well to survive or hold on to their legacy ways and file for chapter 14 down the line.

Bug fixes are important, and in no way am I saying they shouldn't be doing it, but people with phones other than BlackBerry who haven't downloaded BBM yet won't be doing it because they're releasing bug fixes. They'd only consider doing it if the new release of BBM has a new feature that does....... get my drift?

I wish Chen & his management read this

Tell them.

[zorgond]

Releasing a stickers beta feature does not mean that's the only thing the whole bbm team is concentrating on. This means this feature is almost ready and hence came to beta.

Pretty sure multiple features are being worked on. glympse feature was released in the last update, no other app has this I believe. There's also the video chat feature coming and I guess bbm for Windows since mr Chen mentioned it before.

Posted via CB10

[anon(1464249)]

Releasing a stickers beta feature does not mean that's the only thing the whole bbm team is concentrating on. This means this feature is almost ready and hence came to beta.

Pretty sure multiple features are being worked on. glympse feature was released in the last update, no other app has this I believe. There's also the video chat feature coming and I guess bbm for Windows since mr Chen mentioned it before.

Posted via CB10

I didn't say that, I just meant to say that they're maybe focusing on the wrong new features to promote. I personally don't use stickers and probably never will (also hoping they include an option to block them from chats) but as you said they're probably working on new exciting features....why not tell us? Release some teasers, some demo's, a blurry picture, whatever. Let us get excited and create buzz around it instead of waiting on private beta's and silent updates. As you can see from my first post, there are enough features they can implement that they haven't already...

Video chat between BlackBerry users has been available for some time now and the Windows phone client is exciting but they should release some more info.
I'm thinking a screenshot of a windows desktop client (if they're working on it), a video of an exec that talks about 'new and exciting things'. Let us do the marketing cause clearly BlackBerry falls short in that departement.

Leaked pictures are one of the easiest ways to generate buzz on the internet about a product, so why oh why don't they do this.

[pankaler]

i'm from a country that bbm is one of the most used chat apps (I dont have exact stats but I dare to say 10million+).

In here we still use average 512MB - 1GB ram android and using bbm on these phones are mostly lags. BBM is far from smooth compared to whatsapp especially if u have 150+ bbm contacts.

It'll eat 100 Megs of your ram and sometimes make the phone freeze for few seconds.

We need smooth bbm more than video calling and stickers, etc.

Sent using Tapatalk

[_dimi_]

i'm from a country that bbm is one of the most used chat apps (I dont have exact stats but I dare to say 10million+).

In here we still use average 512MB - 1GB ram android and using bbm on these phones are mostly lags. BBM is far from smooth compared to whatsapp especially if u have 150+ bbm contacts.

It'll eat 100 Megs of your ram and sometimes make the phone freeze for few seconds.

We need smooth bbm more than video calling and stickers, etc.

Sent using Tapatalk

A problem that should be resolved once the sub-200 USD Z3 is introduced in your country :-)

Posted via CB10

[pankaler]

A problem that should be resolved once the sub-200 USD Z3 is introduced in your country :-)

Posted via CB10

I'm assuming that you said we have to exchange our android with bb z3.

We have nokia x family also coming here soon. There are still many nokia fans here and it is a long wait for them that nokia use android and now it's happening.

Don't get me wrong I am not trying to be negative just telling the fact. $200 with today's rate is about idr 2.4mil while nokia with its 5" screen rumored will cost about 1.7mil and that's huge price difference not to mention nokia's camera usually good.

If bb can price z3 below idr 2 mil probably it will be a success.

Sent using Tapatalk

[millaria79]

I think they need people like you there

[beantownwindsorite]

The OP has some good ideas. I love how defensive folks get here when it is acknowledged that BlackBerry has a lot of work to do. BlackBerry needs a standout feature or two. Otherwise why would people switch. Pretty simple

Posted via CB10

[BlackBerryRules2006]

Awesome ideas woot000! I would like to add one more to your list.....

http://forums.crackberry.com/showthread.php?t=935019

Next BBM update....BBM Peek

[Vorkosigan]

I actually clicked on this title already a little defensive. I have a son with autism so any type of reference to 'slow kids' gets my back up a bit.

That said - I was pleasantly surprised. I think the OP has some awesome ideas. I would love to see these come to BBM.

Posted via CB10