BBM will begin rolling out for Android and iPhone customers around the world from 21st September. Previously exclusive to BlackBerry smartphones, BBM will be available as a free download in Google Play and the App Store.
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.
The messaging platform is always on so users are always connected. The system tells users when messages are delivered and read.
“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,” said Andrew Bocking, Executive Vice President for BBM at BlackBerry. “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 will be available as a free download for Android smartphones running Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean (Android 4.x).
BBM will continue to evolve quickly. Later this year, BBM Channels will provide a forum for active, real conversations between users and the people, brands, celebrities, artists, service providers and communities. 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 users join conversations with people who share their interests. In addition, BBM Video calling and BBM Voice calling are planned for availability for Android and iPhone in a future version.
