[SaurabhIb]

I think when BlackBerry was popular and in fashion was mainly because of handiness, mailing and BBM.

Most young people's would be having 1000 of contact on BBM for chatting.

But slowly whatsapp has taken over the chatting stuff away, and there it started denting the BlackBerry.

I think whats app can be one of the reasons for BlackBerry decline.

[tinochiko]

I think when BlackBerry was popular and in fashion was mainly because of handiness, mailing and BBM.

Most young people's would be having 1000 of contact on BBM for chatting.

But slowly whatsapp has taken over the chatting stuff away, and there it started denting the BlackBerry.

I think whats app can be one of the reasons for BlackBerry decline.

Also, BBM only became cross platform last year, so if you wanted to use BBM before that, you faced an ever decreasing number of contacts based on the fact that they were leaving BlackBerry

Posted via CB10

[Granrey]

It seems to be the story of BlackBerry. If BlackBerry product is superior due to certain things. Nobody seems to care about those things.

BlackBerry seems to have a very bad image problem that people don't care about their products regardless of their quality.

It seems that issue started with the playbook.

Posted via CB10

[Prem WatsApp]

WhatsApp's infectious, contagious nature due to its behavior of uploading your whole addressbook is a reason why it was able to spread that fast.

A utility or chat app that is more secure, private and requires manual adding of contacts will simply not spread that easily and widely, especially if it's not x-platform.

If BlackBerry comes up with an "opt-in way" of publishing the PIN "internally" for those who opt in (like Twitter using the email / BBID, but without showing), matches and links them
1) all automatically if desired or
2) presents a list of the contacts with tickboxes, so people can easily select who to auto-invite

That way, those who like their PIN / BBID to remain private, can do so, but those who want others to be able to find them, can be found.

Apparently there is a way that allows to invite contacts on a larger scale during sing-up somehow, but I've never tried it.
-> Anyone care to share their experience and how it worked?



? BlackBerry? I premdict the future's gonna be chenomenal! ?

[Troy Tiscareno]

WhatsApp's infectious, contagious nature due to its behavior of uploading your whole addressbook is a reason why it was able to spread that fast.

A utility or chat app that is more secure, private and requires manual adding of contacts will simply not spread that easily and widely, especially if it's not x-platform.

And this illustrates one of BB's biggest problems: all of BB's focus on security, which enterprises and a small handful of consumers want and appreciate, works against BB in HUGE ways in the consumer market, where ease-of-use and bang-for-the-buck is far more important. Because it's so much more difficult to add contacts, or even find contacts, in BBM, it could never hope to grow like WhatsApp, and that's especially devastating to an app that relies on the "network effect" to have any value.

It doesn't matter how awesome, how secure, or how many features BBM (or any other communications app) has - if none of your contacts are using it, it is worthless to you. WhatsApp was worth $18B to Facebook simply because, for almost anyone, a large percentage of their contacts were already using it, making it instantly valuable to anyone who installs it.

BB could have designed BBM to work exactly as WhatsApp does, but they chose not to, because BB prioritizes security. And for BB's small niche, that's ideal, but for the vast consumer market, it's the kiss of death.

This mattered a lot less when BB was way out in front, with good mobile email and BBM when nothing like it existed on other platforms, but BB hasn't been out in front for many years now, and their security model holds them back in many, many ways in the consumer market, and that's not even something they can fix without abandoning their enterprise niche.

Chen realizes this, which is why he has focused the company on the enterprise and has largely abandoned the consumer market in the process.

[Man_apart]

Whats whatsup?

From my ? phone

[LoganSix]

BBM last upgrade made it easier for add people from your Contacts.

BBM Money vs Whatsapp Money

Posted from my Z30 using CB10

[LuvULongTime]

And this illustrates one of BB's biggest problems: all of BB's focus on security, which enterprises and a small handful of consumers want and appreciate, works against BB in HUGE ways in the consumer market, where ease-of-use and bang-for-the-buck is far more important. Because it's so much more difficult to add contacts, or even find contacts, in BBM, it could never hope to grow like WhatsApp, and that's especially devastating to an app that relies on the "network effect" to have any value.

It doesn't matter how awesome, how secure, or how many features BBM (or any other communications app) has - if none of your contacts are using it, it is worthless to you. WhatsApp was worth $18B to Facebook simply because, for almost anyone, a large percentage of their contacts were already using it, making it instantly valuable to anyone who installs it.

BB could have designed BBM to work exactly as WhatsApp does, but they chose not to, because BB prioritizes security. And for BB's small niche, that's ideal, but for the vast consumer market, it's the kiss of death.

This mattered a lot less when BB was way out in front, with good mobile email and BBM when nothing like it existed on other platforms, but BB hasn't been out in front for many years now, and their security model holds them back in many, many ways in the consumer market, and that's not even something they can fix without abandoning their enterprise niche.

Chen realizes this, which is why he has focused the company on the enterprise and has largely abandoned the consumer market in the process.

BB needs to come up with a consumer BBM that behaves similar to whatsapp. It is obvious that consumers could care less about security, so there is no point trying to convince them of the virtues of it. BB needs to put themselves on a level playing field and then go hard after their competitors by offering a wider and richer array of features. I don't even use it anymore and have gravitated to Whatsapp because it is just too easy not to use.

For enterprise they can continue to offer their PIN based BBM protected product.

[jtv1]

Dear Granrey

My sentiments entirely.

I have just got back a PB from my stepson and he just doesn't care.
Out of all his devices.

And that is the same attitude BlackBerry had taken on their own device.

I mentioned it in another thread.
BlackBerry got to grow the Balls, be brave enough to go back to PB, fix it as it should be.
It doesn't have to continue to upgrade them, but it is a device that wasn't clearly finished.
Show the world that BlackBerry has Balls

I am very angry with my beloved BlackBerry

jtvberry

[THBW]

Whatapp had its day in the sun but sorry in its not in the category BBM. Wasn't voice and videos support supposed to close out in April ? Unfortunately Whatsapp became part of the slow lumbering giant called facebook.

Posted via CB10

[Roo Zilla]

Also, BBM only became cross platform last year, so if you wanted to use BBM before that, you faced an ever decreasing number of contacts based on the fact that they were leaving BlackBerry

Posted via CB10

Not really... Remember the 80 million users mantra? That was only a year ago. When they had 80 million users, that was supposedly the most they ever had.

What happened was that texting became the dominant form of communications over email and voice. Once that happened, network effects took over. 80 million users seems like a lot, but its nothing compared to the sheer numbers who can use SMS, and SMS alternatives. BBM isn't really a SMS alternative. It's more like a club.

[KingOfQwerty]

I think whats app can be one of the reasons for BlackBerry decline.

No, BlackBerry itself is responsible for its decline. They were in cloud nine on their hey days and when it got burst, they fell on face.

Now as BBM has virtually spinned off, the consumer BBM is totally depends upon the success of enterprise BBM. If they are able to roll out some innovation there which will catch the eyes of consumer and if, a big IF, BBRY capitalize that momentum, BBM may climb back to its glory.

[Heinz Katchup]

In case you haven't heard OP BlackBerry ain't declining. WhatsApp attempt at stealing away BB10 users with their native app has been a colossal failure.

Posted with X10 via CB10

[Roo Zilla]

BB could have designed BBM to work exactly as WhatsApp does, but they chose not to, because BB prioritizes security. And for BB's small niche, that's ideal, but for the vast consumer market, it's the kiss of death.

I don't think that was it. BlackBerry, and formerly RIM, always saw BBM as a competitive advantage, and didn't want to release it cross platform. In a lot of markets, BBM was the reason to buy a BlackBerry, and there was fear that making it cross platform would have lead to loss in sales in those market. It was possible for them to have designed BBM to work with contacts the way Whatsapp does, but if they had kept it to themselves, I don't think it would have mattered. There are two important takeaways from Whatsapp's success, it's cross platform, and it's an SMS replacement. BBM was neither. It's cross platform now, but until contacts integrates seamlessly, it's not a SMS replacement. I think they needed both. At this stage of the game of course, it's just too late. Even if they made it work exactly like Whatsapp and added cute stickers and made it a gaming platform like Line.... it's just too late. Really, the single most important aspect of communications app is network effect. Without it... it's really pointless.

[Roo Zilla]

No, BlackBerry itself is responsible for its decline. They were in cloud nine on their hey days and when it got burst, they fell on face.

Now as BBM has virtually spinned off, the consumer BBM is totally depends upon the success of enterprise BBM. If they are able to roll out some innovation there which will catch the eyes of consumer and if, a big IF, BBRY capitalize that momentum, BBM may climb back to its glory.

The problem with BBM releasing some kind of super duper enterprise grade security BBM is that it's much easier for a competitor to replicate that feature.... than it is for BlackBerry to replicate the network effects enjoyed by the likes of Whatsapp and Line and WeChat., etc., etc., etc.

[Troy Tiscareno]

I don't think that was it. BlackBerry, and formerly RIM, always saw BBM as a competitive advantage, and didn't want to release it cross platform. In a lot of markets, BBM was the reason to buy a BlackBerry, and there was fear that making it cross platform would have lead to loss in sales in those market.

Steve Jobs famously said (and I'm paraphrasing) "Apple isn't afraid to cannibalize its own sales with a new product, because we realize that if we don't, someone else eventually will." BB (and many other companies) could learn a lot from that.

[wincyUt]

Who really cares what share of the market WhatsApp has, as long as BlackBerry becomes profitable again at what they do best.

Is there anything stopping anyone from having all the IMs on their phones simultaneously? BlackBerry can't be jack of all trades and master of nothing.

John Chen and his crew at BlackBerry are doing the right thing right now by refocusing on their strengths and gradually moving forward. Quality will always trump quantity in the long run.



Posted via CB10

[gdurnt]

I tried What's app and cannot see what is so great I'll stick with BBM.

Posted from my Z30

[Blue787]

Hear hear, totally agree !

Posted via CrackBerry App

[LuvULongTime]

Steve Jobs famously said (and I'm paraphrasing) "Apple isn't afraid to cannibalize its own sales with a new product, because we realize that if we don't, someone else eventually will." BB (and many other companies) could learn a lot from that.

Ironic how he was against a smaller iPad and was also quoted as saying that the world would never see a phablet iPhone. It took Tim Cook to bring these products to market.

[BB Adict]

Whats whatsup?

From my ? phone

Are you an Ostrich?

Blackberry always.....

[Man_apart]

All my friends are on BBM same my family members. So what is whatsup? is it news?

From my ? phone.