Finally, BBM for all
While BlackBerry has had a lot of negative headlines in the media lately (much of which is debatable), they have recently done something to appease the masses. There had been some rumblings about BlackBerry Messenger going cross-platform for quite some time; on Oct. 21 the application went live globally for Android and iOS, and with great reception. According to the official BBM Twitter feed, they had 10 million new activations in the first 24 hours. They also had a waiting list for new activations in the days following in an attempt to not overburden the servers and maintain reliable service for existing users.
Many people who either have a BlackBerry or had one in the past know the glory that is BBM. It is an instantaneous way to keep in touch with anyone you know from anywhere. BBM is like no other mobile instant messenger due to the features it offers it’s users. The message delivery system itself can be seen as an enhanced version of SMS, as it provides the sender with visual feedback on whether the message was successful sent, delivered to the intended receiver, and read. It also uses an the Internet opposed to a cellular connection, which means it can be used for free from anywhere in the world as long as a user has an available wireless Internet connection. This can be particularly helpful when travelling – it allows users to stay connected to the people that matter without accumulating expensive cellular roaming charges.
BBM has complex security features built in as well. It offers increased privacy and anonymity by giving the users a separate unique “pin” eliminating the need to give potential contacts static personal information such as a phone number. This can be beneficial when meeting new people as users can simply exchange pins. It also allows users to block contacts if such a situation becomes warranted. By sharing pins instead, it makes the exchange seem less invasive, since each user has independent, easily accessible, privacy controls.
Shortly after the launch, Facebook was overwhelmed with individuals sharing their new pins. This did not come as a surprise, since so many people are familiar with the application. When taking into consideration the plethora of great features it has to offer, signing up for BBM is clearly a wise decision. BlackBerry intends to keep adding more benefits as the application develops further. With an ever-expanding user base, it will be interesting to see the direction the company takes its users.