BlackBerry Messenger coming to Android and iOS?

Trusted sources say it's going multi-platform

BlackBerry Messenger coming to Android and iOS?

3 March 2011 15:11 GMT / By Stuart Miles

BBM, or BlackBerry Messenger if you aren’t down with the kids, could be coming to other platforms outside of the BlackBerry ecosystem, according to “trusted sources”.

BGR, who have got more moles inside BlackBerry than a garden full of mole hills, are reporting that:

“Research In Motion is planning to bring its beloved BlackBerry Messenger app and service to Android, and eventually to iOS as well.”

Before going on to add that:

“According to our sources, RIM has not yet finalized details surrounding timing or pricing, but we have heard that the company might make the software free to all users. We’re also told strategy is still being developed, however, 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."

BBM is one of RIM’s crown jewels and the move to make it open to more people makes sense if it can add the security elements already available on the company’s current handset.

In February at Mobile World Congress RIM announced a new mobile gifting platform that will work with BBM, allowing users to gift other users top-ups for their mobile phone calling package or other things like money.

“BlackBerry subscribers using BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) with transactions that are secure, authenticated and non-repudiable. The platform will also allow carriers to more easily sell airtime to BlackBerry prepaid subscribers (for the subscriber’s own use),” said RIM at the time.

When’s all this supposed to happen?

“Right now, we have heard that Android is definitely a go. But again, we’re not sure on timing, though our sources are confident that it will launch some time this year. RIM chose Android first because of the fact that it could develop and integrate something like this much easier with an open platform, but the plan is to build and deploy an iOS version at some point as well,” reports BGR.

Via: bgr.com

Full tags
Phones, Apps, BlackBerry, RIM, Android, iPhone apps, Android apps, BlackBerry Messenger 5, iOS, BlackBerry apps

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