Blackberry Messenger App Going To Apple And Android

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Yes Blackberry users, it is true. Research In Motion is planning to develop it's BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) app for Google's Android and possibly Apple's devices. BBM was recently named App of the Year on the BlackBerry App World Platform at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. According to Techland By extending the BBM service to iPhone and Android handsets, BlackBerry would be able to leverage functionality that it arguably does better than anyone else-quick, simple group messaging-and potentially get users of these other platforms hooked on it.

The current BBM features a variety of functions including, but not limited to, chat capabilities (this includes group chat) photo and video sharing, direct device-to-device communications, invitations, user profiles, contact lists, data transfer, app-specific communities, trendy emoticons, barcode scanning and more. The BlackBerry 6 platform, which was released last summer by RIM, has been revamped now adding Social Feeds, which integrate BBM with Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, AOL Instant Messenger, Google Talk, Windows Live Messenger and Yahoo Messenger.

Apparently, ...
... Android and iOS users can look forward to very basic, stripped down versions of BBM and not the addictive version BlackBerry users have grown to cherish and hold dearly. This way, Android and iOS users can communicate with practically anyone who has a smartphone using BBM, but they might not be able to share location, photos or videos (when RIM makes this a capability).

It appears that RIM has been stricken with the fear of completion from similar applications like Kik and WhatsUp. According to Boy Genius Report strategy is still being developed and RIM may end up charging users a one-time fee or even a recurring fee for access to its BBM service on third-party platforms. It is believed that expanding BBM to additional platforms will allow RIM to broaden its influence in the social messaging medium.

I'm thinking RIM is going about this all wrong. Here's the fact of the matter, RIM, just in case you missed it. The only reason me and most of my colleagues still have BlackBerry's and can argue for BlackBerry in a debate about the best phone is BBM. It is the only thing that we BlackBerry users have as incentive for sticking with the smartphone even when other cooler, trendier, more capable smartphones are constantly being released. Now you decided to go an open the flood gates leaving us users with nothing left to argue for. We're outdone.

You know, maybe I'm going about this all wrong. Perhaps I should be thinking of this expansion as the gift and not the curse. Thanks to RIM I can finally look into that Droid and iPhone I've been eyeing for a while now. The debaters are true. BlackBerry has been operating as an outdated smartphone for quite some time now. There are faster, more innovative devices out there and now I can have the best of both worlds. I'll still have the quick and convenient messenger access and I'll even be able to continue to chat with my BBM buddies all while on using my new iPhone. Thanks, BlackBerry. I owe you one.