[psypher22]

Is consolidation the solution for BlackBerry to keep up with viber and whatsapp?

We all know bbm had plans to enter the enterprise. But I wonder if that will be enough?

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[spikesolie]

Why buy kik? Just because of user base?

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[AndreyLepher]

Yes i said it already BlackBerry should Buy ooVoo and Zello and embrace it on BBM like ptt channels in the blackberry channels and group video chat on BBM

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[psypher22]

Good question. User base, expertise, tech, removing a similar competitor.

Are those reasons good enough tthough?

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[eldricho]

BlackBerry isn't really in the position to acquire any kind of such companies now.
Kik would only be for the user base, as they already have most of the features of Kik. Also, the user base of Kik may be reached and maybe even surpassed now that Voice is out.
Regarding the Oovoo acquisition would be better. It would enable them to further improve their video integration, but they would also get a desktop client that could be used. Could be very costly to get them tho.

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[bekkay]

Good question. User base, expertise, tech, removing a similar competitor.

Are those reasons good enough tthough?

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If a multi-billion company that once was an unquestioned leader in messaging is after the "expertise" and "tech" of a much smaller and newer player, I really don't know what to think.

[hannes89]

First they should make an app for Windows phone to become true cross platform.

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[bekkay]

BlackBerry isn't really in the position to acquire any kind of such companies now.
Kik would only be for the user base, as they already have most of the features of Kik. Also, the user base of Kik may be reached and maybe even surpassed now that Voice is out.
Regarding the Oovoo acquisition would be better. It would enable them to further improve their video integration, but they would also get a desktop client that could be used. Could be very costly to get them tho.

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The market is filled with messaging solutions that support Voice. It's not going to change anything.

[sosof]

with what money? BlackBerry does not have the resources at all to acquire anyone right now. Best bet is to push BBM to its limits.

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[donmateo]

No, continue to develop BBM and run Kik into the ground. They don't have money for things like this; Chen is stopping the bleeding first.

[ESCON]

all they need is a mac and win desktop version.... ok and a wp and ipad version ;-)

[anon(1464249)]

If a multi-billion company that once was an unquestioned leader in messaging is after the "expertise" and "tech" of a much smaller and newer player, I really don't know what to think.

You're kidding right? That's exactly why all these takeovers are happening. The multi-billion dollar companies want the "expertise" and "tech" of the small new startups....

[BUDDYFUNLOVE]

Not entirely sure BlackBerry can buy any of these messaging apps TBH. They are not exactly swimming in capital. They need to focus all they have on hardware and effective software.

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[LuvULongTime]

If they can afford it, yes. They need to consolidate and build their user base. Ideally they would operate Kik, etc as a separate entity but also allow those users to message BBM users and vice versa. This will stop any user backlash and keep upstarts at bay.

Edit - And I'll also add that I would advocate BB and FB work together and allow cross platform communication on one anothers instant messengers as a means to compete with Google and iMessage.

[psypher22]

If a multi-billion company that once was an unquestioned leader in messaging is after the "expertise" and "tech" of a much smaller and newer player, I really don't know what to think.

Good point.

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[bekkay]

You're kidding right? That's exactly why all these takeovers are happening. The multi-billion dollar companies want the "expertise" and "tech" of the small new startups....

No, they want the user base.

If a multi-billion company that has many years of market experience and that has resources to hire best engineers needs "tech" and "expertise" of companies that barely make any revenue and have just a few people on their team, that's a big problem. This was my point.

[nico2004]

BlackBerry doesn't need to buy, just needs to have video chat on all platforms asap so they don't lose momentum. They have the best message system I'm the world .

Posted from my new toy Z30.

[Notcho]

Na

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[anon(1464249)]

No, they want the user base.

If a multi-billion company that has many years of market experience and that has resources to hire best engineers needs "tech" and "expertise" of companies that barely make any revenue and have just a few people on their team, that's a big problem. This was my point.

1. Yes they want the user base but your post was talking about companies in general and not this specific case or that's how I read it.
2. So you're saying 'tech' and 'expertise' can't come from a startup? It's the startups that invent the new apps/products and the big fish just buy them outright. It's not about being 40 years on the job, it's about a fresh look at things... a lot of startups do things differently and get bought.

Oreo time!

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[anon(153966)]

To be honest, before BlackBerry start to consider purchasing any business/thing, they need to get a few basic things right. For one the media and economic view of BlackBerry. They need to somehow (not sure how exactly) get the name BLACKBERRY to be a household name again.

Yes, a tough fight, albeit one that has to be fought...

[badiyee]

If they have money to acquire things, another IM company should NOT be in the list.

I can think of few other companies that BlackBerry should set their sights on, or should I say based on these categories.

1. Game-making (assuming the question is just to milk the cow(s) till they bleed dry. Not a priority, but worth the money making.
2. Office productivity (get something more powerful than Docs 2 Go, as powerful as MSOFFICE, that's actually cloud friendly like GDocs do)
3. Imaging propietary. After that Timeshift (and the entire company got bought by Nokia) this entire section became stale. Gimmicky, probably but worth investing into.
4. Battery tech. No questions needed. More answers wanted.
5. User Experience. This is one sorely lacking. Every UE that BlackBerry proposes has a sharp polarizing effect. They should somehow invest in one that allows a streamlined UE, no matter what gestures, commands, key shortcuts used. Themes, styles, etc. It goes beyond software, and into design as well.

[mnc76]

If they could afford it, then it would be a total no-brainer to buy KIK.

Honestly, it makes sense on so so many levels.

That's my vote 100%.

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[boeingrules]

No, they want the user base.

If a multi-billion company that has many years of market experience and that has resources to hire best engineers needs "tech" and "expertise" of companies that barely make any revenue and have just a few people on their team, that's a big problem. This was my point.

Not true. Take for example when Apple took over the company that made Siri (I can't remember what it was exactly). They weren't after its user base, since it was non existant. They wanted the idea, the 'tech' or the company. Many companies buy littler ones in order to gain a certain niche in an area or an idea that they envision could improve and profit under their control. A company with expertise doesn't have to be a giant behemoth in the industry, they can be a small one that specialises in a specific area. Sometimes this is enough to capture the attention of multi-billion dollar companies.

In the Facebook Whatsapp case, yes, I believe this was done for the user base, but I'm just saying it's not always the case. Besides, very few companies have a user base significant enough for giants like Facebook or Apple to sign a deal with.

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