Global mobile phone ecosystem will witness a new dimension in instant mobile to mobile messaging with privacy, as the iconic mobile social network, BBM will begin rolling out for Android and iPhone customers around the world .
Although previously exclusive to BlackBerry smartphones, what this means is that BBM will be available as a free download in Google Play and the App StoreSM.
Accordingly, customers will be able to download BBM by visiting www.BBM.com from their smartphone browser.
BBM gives you a private social network for active, real conversations with many advantages including:
* It’s immediate. BBM is always on so you are always connected. And because messages on BBM are typically delivered and read within seconds, it’s the closest thing to a live conversation.
*You trust it. BBM always tells you that messages are delivered and read. BBM conversations come alive on a private network you can count on.
*You control it. BBM allows you to choose your contacts and how you share your information. BBM uses a PIN so you don’t have to give anyone your phone number or email address.
“BBM is a very engaging messaging service that is simple to use, easy to personalize and has an immediacy that is necessary for mobile communications,” Andrew Bocking, Executive Vice President for BBM at BlackBerry, said, adding that , “With more than a billion Android, iOS, and BlackBerry smartphones in the market, and no dominant mobile messaging platform, this is absolutely the right time to bring BBM to Android and iPhone customers.”
BBM for Android and iPhone features:
With BBM chat, users will enjoy real, immediate conversations with friends on Android, iPhone and BlackBerry smartphones.
Not only does BBM allows you know that your message has been delivered and read, it also shows you that your friend is responding to the message.
Beyond that, with BBM, users can share files on your phone such as photos and voice notes, all in an instant.
Keep your group in the loop
Multi-person chats are a great way to invite contacts to chat together. BBM Groups alows you invite up to 30 friends to chat together, and go a step further than multi-chat by sharing photos and schedules. With Broadcast Message, also, users can send a message out to all their BBM contacts at once.
Post Updates and stay in the know
BBM allows you post a personal message, profile picture and your current status, and lets your contacts know instantly in Updates.
Your unique PIN
Every BBM user has a unique PIN that maintains your privacy, so you don’t have to give out your phone number or email address to a new or casual contact.
BBM will be available as a free download for Android smartphones running Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean (Android 4.x) beginning at 7AM EDT on September 21.
BBM for iPhones running iOS 6 and iOS 7 will become available for each market on the App Store schedule of 12:01 AM local time on September 22. For more information, or to download BBM for Android or iPhone, visit www.BBM.com.
BBM will continue to evolve quickly. Later this year, BBM Channels will provide a forum for active, real conversations between you and the people, brands, celebrities, artists, service providers, communities and more, that matter to you.
By creating a Channel, individuals and brands can engage their friends and communities in conversations sparked by their thoughts, ideas and passions. Subscribing to a Channel will let you join conversations with people who share your interests.
In addition, BBM Video calling and BBM Voice calling are planned for availability for Android and iPhone in a future version.
BBM has more than 60 million monthly active customers on BlackBerry alone, and the overwhelming majority use BBM an average of 90 minutes per day.
BBM customers collectively send and receive more than 10 billion messages each day, nearly twice as many messages per user per day as compared to other mobile messaging apps. Messages on BBM are typically read within seconds, reflecting how truly engaged BBM customers are.
A global leader in wireless innovation, BlackBerry revolutionized the mobile industry when it was introduced in 1999.
Today, BlackBerry aims to inspire the success of our millions of customers around the world by continuously pushing the boundaries of mobile experiences. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, BlackBerry operates offices in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America.
