According to Techno Buffalo this time around �BBM for Android�, now at version 0.8.87 and still in beta, will somehow be included in RIM�s BlackBerry Mobile Fusion service and �is on schedule to launch this year.� In addition to Android, it�ll also be ported to iOS sometime. No word of when."
Makes sense that BBM will be available on iOS and Android too, since BB mobile fusion can now manage them. Corporate will want to be able to have a secure IM client for internal use (unless you're in india?).
If they do a really good job at cross platform corporate BBM, (like I mean really good, way faster than active sync) then that will help advertise BBM to consumers who may also want that superfast messaging capability. This would also give enterprises much much more of an incentive to choose fusion over the competition. Mobile Fusion, with it's best in class security, corporate sandboxing on RIM devices and cross platform BBM would blow all other MDM solutions out of the water. This is what RIM needs to do, build and then showcase their strengths....secure, efficient, lighning fast communication.
Maybe the idea for consumers goes like this. Worker comes home from work and and says how great BBM is on their android. Their family member says, great, but how come I can't find BBM on Google play or the app store. Worker says that you need a blackberry for BBM if your not enrolled with fusion. BAM, BBM becomes the corporate standard and paves the way for RIM's consumer business.
BBM needs a pin, no pin no bbm (and if I am wrong I KNOW someone will correct me). So it being offered via Fusion makes sense. Fusion would end up assigning a Pin to the device it manages, if said device didnt have a pin. That begs the question of how it would interact with devices outside of what is managed by the Fusion server, would it in fact be able to BBM 'outside' sources?
Love this strategy (offer to corporate users)... as much as iOS and Android hate to admit it, BBM is THE messaging program. There are many others, but BBM is unbeatable when it comes to both usability and overall market perception of what a messaging program is. Remember when "MSN Messenger" was king... BBM is now on that level and opening it up to other platforms is smart. Making it only available to corporate users is even smarter. Make it available to corporate users, they'll end up loving BBM (because really, who doesn't?!), then they'll want their families and other contacts on BBM, but the only way for a regular consumer to do it would be to get a BB phone... Other corporations not using Mobile Fusion may choose to adopt it in order to get everyone on the same messaging platform - - BBM. Great strategy and doesn't lose the consumer BB market at all in my opinion. This grows the BBM users exponentially (great for numbers when it comes to comparisons with iMessage and Android messaging platforms)... can't see many negative effects of doing this.
Just looking at the picture more closely, could this be a BB10 phone?! I know the resolution is junk, but that could just be for the image on the screen and not the actual device's resolution... see how the image doesn't fully fill the screen?
The top and bottom corner seem to curve inward (similar to the leaked pics of the London). The fact that the silver areas of the London are covered up, may show that they're trying to hide the distinguishing features. Seems to have a bezel around the screen, similar to the PlayBook style.
Could be running BBM through an Android player for testing purposes.
Virtual BB was an entire BlackBerry experience on other smartphones. It gave the device a PIN so it could be activated on a BES. With a PIN, BBM would work, and would work in a virtual machine type environment. There is no reason, with androids current support of virtualization, that RIM couldnt throw a BB VM on there, along with a PIN and of course, BBM.
One of today's first posts was about Balsillie resigning because his plan was to offer BIS, BBM, etc. for other phones. Perhaps this is a beat/demo or mockup that was part of the prototype for all that?
If they keep the same level of service, I really don't care how many get access to it. I would like to know, if it was true, how they plan in implementing it.
Meh....this rumour keeps coming back from the dead....
We all know that RIM does comment on rumors. They have made plenty of comments on rumors. The last one I remember is Samsung buying RIM rumor... and guess what RIM commented on that rumor.
So Alex saying sorry we don't comment of rumors is BS. He's not commenting because it is a planned release... just not sure when it's gonna happen.
