Blackberry Messaging To Become Available To Non-Blackberry Users

From this weekend, users will no longer
need to own a Blackberry device to
access its BBM messaging service.
Blackberry has confirmed BBM will be
available as a free download for Apple and
Android devices but not for Windows
phones.
The move comes as the Wall Street Journal
reports that Blackberry will lay off 40% of
its staff before 2014.
Widening the appeal of BBM could be a
clever way for the company to reinvent
itself, said experts.
“Blackberry is having a tough time, sales
are down, it is losing market to Windows
phones and it needs to do something to
stop the rot. This is as good a move as
any,” said Chris Green, principal technology
analyst at Davies Murphy Group Europe.
“Offering it across other platforms
broadens the appeal of BBM,” he added.
The messanging will be available for
Android devices running Ice Cream
Sandwich and Jelly Bean while iPhones
running iOS 6 or iOS 7 can also download
it.
“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,”
Andrew Bocking, vice-president for BBM,
was quoted as saying.