i remember i had at many times advocated for RIM making BBM cross platform, but the response i usually got from people was that BBM was their sole selling point and that making it cross platform would hurt their sales of Blackberries.....

well they did not make it cross platform, their sales are almost dead, and worst of all BBM has lost its mojo to other less quality cross platform apps


http://crackberry.com/what-if-blackberry-messenger-had-gone-cross-platform

For quite some time now, I've been a firm believer that RIM should release BlackBerry Messenger on other platforms. At first I wasn't sure if they should. But smarter people convinced me.

What prompted this conversation? WhatsApp. That's what. Ever since the startup company launched their multi-platform messaging tool, CrackBerry Nation has been watching its progress.

Calling the growth of WhatsApp "progress" feels like calling Hurricane Sandy "a bit of a storm". They've gone from transmitting 1 billion messages per day in October of last year to over 10 billion messages per day in August 2012. This metric comes from a corporate tweet, in which they announced a new record of "4B inbound, 6B outbound = 10b total messages a day!" It sounds like they are counting a send and a receive as 2 messages, so I'll treat this as 5 billion daily messages. Still, it's a LOT.


Compare WhatsApp to BBM. RIM has 60 million BBM users, according to their most recent metrics. The average BBM user would have to send 83 messages per day to match the volume of WhatsApp. I don't believe the average is anywhere close to that high, so it seems to me WhatsApp has a far greater user base than RIM. It's also much bigger than iMessage considering Apple claims to have handled a cumulative total of 300 billion iMessages (since its launch).

That's what happens when you go multi-platform. WhatsApp is very likely the world's #1 mobile IM platform.

In my opinion, and I'm not sure if others will disagree, RIM has pretty much stagnated with BBM. The UI hasn't changed in years, though what we have seen of BBM on BlackBerry 10 does look pretty solid. Very few important new features or innovations have happened this decade. RIM's big push has been trying to leverage BBM by creating APIs so that other apps could be BBM-connected. I'm not convinced it has helped them grow their user base. Meanwhile, WhatsApp has improved its initially-lacking service by adding their version of Groups, which has been one of BBM's biggest differentiators. WhatsApp groups now allow for up to 30 people, and you can share pictures, videos, audio notes, contacts and locations.

I also see the size of the user base as being FAR more important than the feature set. Look at SMS. It's basically one feature. Text. Yet the user base is billions, because it's a global standard. The value of network size is well documented. Just look at Metcalfe's Law, which states that the value of a network is proportional to the square of the number of users on that network. Double the users? Four times the value.

WhatsApp grew while being inferior to BBM. [/b]In fact the app has been outed as being totally insecure over Wi-Fi. Unless they've fixed the problem, anyone with a rooted Android app can sniff your conversations. While people should care about this kind of problem, sadly most do not even know about it. They're too busy chatting. Even those who are aware of the security risk are likely to ignore it because the perceived downside of not using the app to connect with friends is worse than the perceived risk of being spied on.

[b]Many BlackBerry users are making the switch to WhatsApp or other cross platform IM clients (Kik, Hookt, etc.) to be able to chat with friends on non-BlackBerry hardware. But some simply grew frustrated because of the big network failure that hit RIM in Europe. BBM was down for several days for many users. Was this the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back?

CONTINUED

Kevin shared a story with me from his future brother in law, demonstrating this problem. He moved to Spain for a year to complete an MBA. When he got there, he observed that most people were using BBM. By the time he left, there had been a sweeping shift towards WhatsApp. From his observations, the recent BlackBerry service interruption that affected Europe served as a catalyst allowing many to abandon their BBs, and from there began to rely on WhatsApp to fill their BBM void with the BBM group functionality they were used to.

Simply put, BlackBerry Messenger is no longer king of the hill. Even with 60 million users, many of these users also use WhatsApp to chat cross-platform, and it seems quite clear from the math that WhatsApp has a larger installed base. Jump into App World right now and you'll see that WhatsApp is the #1 downloaded free BlackBerry app. BBM may have best-in-class features and speed, but WhatsApp definitely appears to be good enough for the masses.


Platform specific apps such as iMessage and BBM have definite value. But they seem unlikely to win out over cross-platform tools. Even Microsoft has taken this into account with Windows 8 by creating the concept of "rooms". Snap that photo of your cute toddler and want to share it with family? No problem. You can send it off to all contacts defined as family and it works across multiple platforms. Want to share a calendar? Same thing.


And of course Microsoft owns Skype, which is already cross-platform. I wouldn't be surprised if Microsoft merges its Windows 8 rooms with Skype functionality for even better cross-platform leverage. After all, Skype is gigantic and at peak times they host over 40 million users online. They merge the desktop world with the mobile world, which is something iMessage does, but WhatsApp and BBM do not.


So now it's time to ask the hard questions. If RIM had taken BlackBerry Messenger to Android, iOS and even Symbian over a year ago would it have helped device sales? Or would it have acted as a catalyst, speeding up defection away from BlackBerry? We are interested in your thoughts, so comment away.




I firmly believe a cross-platform move would have helped. Obviously, for those who already abandoned BlackBerry, the downside of losing BBM was not enough to stop them. When enough of the influencers leave, the rest follow. Being cross-platform could have stopped a lot of bleeding in my opinion.


Kevin also proposed (and I agree with the view) that cross-platform BBM would have saved RIM a lot of brand tarnish in the USA. Having a kick-ass IM app that was respected on iOS and Android would be a good thing. So even if device sales still lagged (likely), at least the BlackBerry brand would be more intact. Jump into Apple's App Store and at any given moment you'll see WhatsApp as the #1 or #2 top downloaded app. Had BBM gone cross platform earlier, odds are it would have killed WhatsApp and the rest of the cross platform IM client competitors dead before they even had a chance to grow. Instead of WhatsApp, you'd be seeing a BlackBerry logo on the top downloads list of every other app store. And that wouldn't be a bad thing for BlackBerry.

Finally, would a cross-platform implementation of BBM have given RIM more marketing muscle when it comes to the launch of BlackBerry 10? It seems to me the answer is yes. Think of all the folks, who abandoned BlackBerry, who might at least be still using a key BlackBerry application, and therefore more willing to consider switching back.

Discussing a backwards-looking "what if" scenario is tough. We'll never know the right answer. But if the reasons for RIM moving cross platform were good in 2010 or 2011, then I think they are still good today. I'd like to see RIM get back to innovating on BBM and take it cross platform.

Its obviously would have been more deverstating, because most of the blackberry users now are just using it because of the bbm, while they have other phones.. So just imagine they made its available for every platform, eyyah e for be bye bye for bb.
Presonally, I use a bb but not for the bbm, I have 2 contacts(a dude that forced me to add him, over a month now and I have never said a word to him and my self). its for the internet connection and the data plan.. If mtn had reduced their data to just over 1GB like other networks, I would have left the bb a long time ago!


I noticed this pisses some people off!!
Lemi fin some trouble this mornin..
I AM THE FIRST!!!!

@ 4llerbuntu aint no 1 hatin BB more than you.But the way u go about it is detailed,specific and very educative.Am into BBs but thats on a biz level.Androids do create a rounded feel of owning a mobile.But we r rily hoping the BB10 os would inculcate this and much in their planned fone releases nxt year.My thumbs r crossed n my money is waiting.once its released I want to be among the 1st to bring it 4 buyers in 9ja.I still bliv in BB all d same,simply becos Nigeria is not yet finking of running a wifi acc just as d regular gsm.I sincerely hope d telecoms industries look into bringing wifi into d market at an affordable price as androids r best used w a wifi cos of their data consumption.Then Android could be king.But now BB gives you access to the internet for less to nutin.I respect them for that bro.
keep the reviews cumin as u hav a powerful Follower here.

joey4jo: Its obviously would have been more deverstating, because most of the blackberry users now are just using it because of the bbm, while they have other phones.. So just imagine they made its available for every platform, eyyah e for be bye bye for bb.
Presonally, I use a bb but not for the bbm, I have 2 contacts(a dude that forced me to add him, over a month now and I have never said a word to him and my self). its for the internet connection and the data plan.. If mtn had reduced their data to just over 1GB like other networks, I would have left the bb a long time ago!


I noticed this pisses some people off!!
Lemi fin some trouble this mornin..
I AM THE FIRST!!!!

Bad guy, you didn't add ''to comment''..We are cool with you, nice try sha

Gadgetmobil: @ 4llerbuntu aint no 1 hatin BB more than you.But the way u go about it is detailed,specific and very educative.Am into BBs but thats on a biz level.Androids do create a rounded feel of owning a mobile.But we r rily hoping the BB10 os would inculcate this and much in their planned fone releases nxt year.My thumbs r crossed n my money is waiting.once its released I want to be among the 1st to bring it 4 buyers in 9ja.I still bliv in BB all d same,simply becos Nigeria is not yet finking of running a wifi acc just as d regular gsm.I sincerely hope d telecoms industries look into bringing wifi into d market at an affordable price as androids r best used w a wifi cos of their data consumption.Then Android could be king.But now BB gives you access to the internet for less to nutin.I respect them for that bro.
keep the reviews cumin as u hav a powerful Follower here.

Bro, your in dreamland!
The blackberry has nothing new to offer, I can bet my #10 that the only thing the will do is
Wider and clearer screen
Make its an 8mp camera
More ram and storage!
Nothing out of the ordinary, even the apple and samsung. They are just recycling the samething.

Actually i'm not hating on BB. im hating on the fact they let a good headstart go to waste

and that they sold RUBBISH HARDWARE AND OS for years at premium prices.\


That said lets look at this logically.

1. whatsapp is inferior to BBM, and is just a privacy nightmare with the phone number model


2. almost everyone i know with a bb has installed whatsapp and use it actively on a daily basis


3. BBM and email are the last vestiges of useability that RIM possess on their platform. They have NOT stopped users from migrating away in millions


4. RIM holding on to BBM exclusively smacks of desperation.... and its not even working.


5. By the time BB10 (the much vaunted savior) is out, most folks that will buy it will realise the platform is now lonely AND WILL STILL INSTALL AND USE WHATSAPP ANYWAY


6. BB10 OS is starting to look like what will kill RIM entirely. The way they are betting the whole world on it is laughable. even Microsoft, with their second attempt at Windows Phone has not released a OS that is flawless. i honestly doubt if BB1o will be as good as WIndows Phone 8, much less IOS or Android.


7. Incase you folks still dont get, the third world market is being eroded by budget android and Windows Phones (which will win that market anyway). This market is NOT enough to keep RIM afloat.


8. BBM crossplatform WILL HAPPEN, even if it takes RIM dying off. They simply should have monetised the app across platfroms, besides it will help them retain MINDSHARE WHEN ON OTHER PLATFORMS THE TOP IM APP IS BLACKBERY MESSENGER.

currently whatsapp is the highest downloaded app on the blackberry appworld. go figure



i dont want BIS to die yet, its still helping me minimise costs. its just that the 50 -100 million naira that BIS users pay in nigeria will not keep a company like RIM afloat


6.

If BBM went cross platform then that would have been the nail in the coffin for RIM. I doubt any amount of mindshare would keep RIM afloat if they lost the exclusivity to their most prized feature. And I'm curious to see how they would keep the feature profitable, the current BBM is paid for by users every month, yes? How would that fare with a free Whatsapp, Viber and other Over The Top(OTT) services?

What RIM needs to do is bring their OS up to par with the likes of Android and iOS - well, we'll see how BB10 performs - to get back in the game not give away its golden egg.

^^^^
thats what you all say, thats what RIM has been saying all this while.

By the time BB10 devices are out, almost nobody will be using blackberries again!!! thats the point.


Nigerian market actually will not help RIM, irrespective of its popularity here.

you people have a large second hand user base, over 70% of blackberries used in nigeria are second hand.

you will have to wait for the oyinbos to buy and use and dispose before u will get them here, like how many people here buy new blackberries for the absolutely ridiculous prices that the new ones are sold?

Unfortunately, the oyinbos are not buying blackberries anymore!


faced with a choice of buying Iphone or android or BB for 95-105k im sure u know which one the average person will choose.


the issue is BBM users are dwindling, and people are not missing BBM because well other cross platform alternatives work and they are adopting it massively.

if BBM did not stop BB's from becoming endangered, it will not make people adopt BB back. its like you people seriously underestimate the challenge RIM has now, WINDOWS PHONE 8 IS A QUALITY OS THATS NOT SURE OF CRACKING THE MARKET, HOW MUCH MORE BB10 that we are even yet to see ?


anyway, its not hard sha, na for una eye RIM go carry the BBM thing sell when dem dey fold

The drift of your argument is noted, but my question remains unanswered, how does making BBM available on other OSs really help RIM. Already as has been noted, consumers are leaving BB in droves despite BBM. They don't seem to miss it when there are other FREE alternatives like Whatsapp. Should RIM make BBM free and available on all other platforms? And if they do so how will this help? I don't see a workable business model if they take this path.

What u guys fail to ask is WHAT IS DRIVING PPLE FROM BB TO OTHER PHONES?
my own personal opinion is mainly the damned/clunky/stale/redundant OS and they left it too late before they cud even THINK of stepping up their game.
take a look at other OS:
ANDROID = Android Beta --- 4.1/.2(JellyBean)

iOS = 1.x.x --- 6.x.x

WINDOWS PHONE = Windows CE --- Windows Phone 8

BLACKBERRY OS = 4.5 --- 7.1

Now tell me which has the least significant change among d bolded above?

lynxnoon: What u guys fail to ask is WHAT IS DRIVING PPLE FROM BB TO OTHER PHONES?
my own personal opinion is mainly the damned/clunky/stale/redundant OS and they left it too late before they cud even THINK of stepping up their game.
take a look at other OS:
ANDROID = Android Beta --- 4.1/.2(JellyBean)

iOS = 1.x.x --- 6.x.x

WINDOWS PHONE = Windows CE --- Windows Phone 8

BLACKBERRY OS = 4.5 --- 7.1

Now tell me which has the least significant change among d bolded above?

Sell cheap junk as phones too. Imagine their flagship phone hanging and restarting lyk hell. RIM lost me a week ago.

lynxnoon: What u guys fail to ask is WHAT IS DRIVING PPLE FROM BB TO OTHER PHONES?
my own personal opinion is mainly the damned/clunky/stale/redundant OS and they left it too late before they cud even THINK of stepping up their game.
take a look at other OS:
ANDROID = Android Beta --- 4.1/.2(JellyBean)

iOS = 1.x.x --- 6.x.x

WINDOWS PHONE = Windows CE --- Windows Phone 8

BLACKBERRY OS = 4.5 --- 7.1

Now tell me which has the least significant change among d bolded above?

..hmmm you're right bro!

The era of monopolizing a technology is far gone,when there are other better alternatives. Bb has nothing new in its new model except a wider screen,clearer camera etc. The prices are even ridiculous to a common man,which RIM didn't take into consideration. If bb are dropped in the western world,then expect the rippling effect on third world countries too,since UK used bb sells faster than new ones.just imageing a scenerio where there are no bb again to import.

B.b users re reliable to Walkin arnd wit charger on streets,beware,no buy b.b oo

Maybe people are just tired of chatting on BBM.

Gadgetmobil: @ 4llerbuntu aint no 1 hatin BB more than you.But the way u go about it is detailed,specific and very educative.Am into BBs but thats on a biz level.Androids do create a rounded feel of owning a mobile.But we r rily hoping the BB10 os would inculcate this and much in their planned fone releases nxt year.My thumbs r crossed n my money is waiting.once its released I want to be among the 1st to bring it 4 buyers in 9ja.I still bliv in BB all d same,simply becos Nigeria is not yet finking of running a wifi acc just as d regular gsm.I sincerely hope d telecoms industries look into bringing wifi into d market at an affordable price as androids r best used w a wifi cos of their data consumption.Then Android could be king.But now BB gives you access to the internet for less to nutin.I respect them for that bro.
keep the reviews cumin as u hav a powerful Follower here.

GBAM!! You said it all jare BB is king here all androd and apple consume data a lot so when wifi becomes cheap here I can boast of dem bb solves all ma wahala -- and whatapp is a stupid application same as 2go I will never download dem anymore so anoying everybody is there and people you don wanna talk to can use ur fone number and add you up and start buggin your life instantly --

4llerbuntu:

Actually i'm not hating on BB. im hating on the fact they let a good headstart go to waste

and that they sold RUBBISH HARDWARE AND OS for years at premium prices.\


That said lets look at this logically.

1. whatsapp is inferior to BBM, and is just a privacy nightmare with the phone number model


2. almost everyone i know with a bb has installed whatsapp and use it actively on a daily basis


3. BBM and email are the last vestiges of useability that RIM possess on their platform. They have NOT stopped users from migrating away in millions


4. RIM holding on to BBM exclusively smacks of desperation.... and its not even working.


5. By the time BB10 (the much vaunted savior) is out, most folks that will buy it will realise the platform is now lonely AND WILL STILL INSTALL AND USE WHATSAPP ANYWAY


6. BB10 OS is starting to look like what will kill RIM entirely. The way they are betting the whole world on it is laughable. even Microsoft, with their second attempt at Windows Phone has not released a OS that is flawless. i honestly doubt if BB1o will be as good as WIndows Phone 8, much less IOS or Android.


7. Incase you folks still dont get, the third world market is being eroded by budget android and Windows Phones (which will win that market anyway). This market is NOT enough to keep RIM afloat.


8. BBM crossplatform WILL HAPPEN, even if it takes RIM dying off. They simply should have monetised the app across platfroms, besides it will help them retain MINDSHARE WHEN ON OTHER PLATFORMS THE TOP IM APP IS BLACKBERY MESSENGER.

currently whatsapp is the highest downloaded app on the blackberry appworld. go figure



i dont want BIS to die yet, its still helping me minimise costs. its just that the 50 -100 million naira that BIS users pay in nigeria will not keep a company like RIM afloat


6.

LIES!!! YOU TRIED SHA

Hey guys.. RIM just lost another major customer, Pentagon.

http://gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/news/pentagon-to-end-exclusive-deal-with-rims-blackberry-287515

If our mobile operators introduce a plan similar to BIS without all these MB stuff, i for don do away with ds crap buh buying MB sucks! Checking ur balance wheneva u wan watch film online and all dt...for now I will stick wt my BB. Maybe RIM don bribe our mobile operator sha. F**k, my ba3 can't last for complete 24hrs...I tire o

WHATSAPP AND LUMIA IS LIKE A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN

The truth is that I still prefer bb becos its cheaper to maintain than android,personally I have used the android phone and the rate at which data is consumed is alarming

[color=#006600][/color]Am still stock with М̣̣̥̇̊Ɣ bbm no tym . Its meeting М̣̣̥̇̊Ɣ need άήȡ @ minimal cost †̥̥Ơ̴̴̴͡ compared †̥̥Ơ̴̴̴͡ others. What's app can't transfer heavy or large media files bt bbm Ȋ̝̊̅§ unlimited. 28ED245F

Bawss1: The drift of your argument is noted, but my question remains unanswered, how does making BBM available on other OSs really help RIM. ....

While at this point I will say its too little too late. But if RIM had made its messenger free for download on other platforms then anyone on any platform will be able to hook up with their bb contacts even if they don't use bb. On the surface this seem like it will be counter productive but no. It work out well on many fronts:
1. The most powerful (at the time) messenger is available for free to all platforms. This givds RIM the glory that whatsapp presently enjoys and other platforms might have a deal with RiM to use BBM for free on their platforms.
2. BB users are not pressured to download third party apps to communicate with non bb users thus the popularity and effectiveness of BBM is not diminished in anyway. It will rather be growing.
3. Consider that Google litteraly owns android but Google apps like maps, goovle talk etc are not restricted to android yet this has not hurt android sales while apple tried to make an exclusive map app for iphone 5 and it stung them.
It simple. If its exclusive it excludes a large part of the pottential market. If its free for all then its the peoples thing and thats where the growth is.

ITbomb: WHATSAPP AND LUMIA IS LIKE A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN

Lumia??

maclatunji: Maybe people are just tired of chatting on BBM.

That's highly probable but that's where RIM failed to do their homework.
All products undergo a life cycle, it's up to the producer to prolong the maturity stage of a said product as much as possible.
In this case RIM was expected to refresh the user experience (if they had ante-up the hardware & os) of their platform in relation to competitive pricing, viable promotions etc to be at par with competitors rather than relying solely on BBM's success.

@topic. making BBM cross platform no doubt would have made more business sense & suited their need to revitalize the BB brand.
Imagine chatting on an iphone with BBM app (with the BB brand constantly in your face displaying all it's goodies) then BB10 gets launched, it certainly would be easier to convince you to make a switch

@Hayjay what do u mean by lies?

u should point out the lies in my post, not just tell me crap


BTW, for whatsapp, its supposed to be 99cents a year, but im not sure they have even started billing users outside europe. two of my sims are already over the 1 year free period and they still work fine.

and seriously how can u not be able to pay 150 naira a year for a very useful Instant messaging app? haba, are u not paying 1400 naira for BIS?


even better i activate it with one line, then switch lines in the phone (android) and it still works and will show the initial line as being active.
thats how iv been able to avoid the number palaver, the number on the whatsapp line is not going to ring if u call it
i know it does not work that way on BB sha, being tied to BIS.


is it available on Windows Phone now?

@Hayjaycity what do u mean by lies?

u should point out the lies in my post, not just tell me crap


BTW, for whatsapp, its supposed to be 99cents a year, but im not sure they have even started billing users outside europe. two of my sims are already over the 1 year free period and they still work fine.

and seriously how can u not be able to pay 150 naira per year for a very useful Instant messaging app? haba, are u not paying 1400 naira a month for BIS?


even better i activate it with one line, then switch lines in the phone (android) and it still works and will show the initial line as being active.
thats how iv been able to avoid the number palaver, the number on the whatsapp line is not going to ring if u call it
i know it does not work that way on BB sha, being tied to BIS.


is it available on Windows Phone now?

Demdem: Been using whatsapp for over a year now on my android phone and suddenly i got a notification on my phone that the service has been extended till February 2013. Someone told me i would have to be paying after then and i was like WTH.
Am not ready to pay for that (at least not now). As soon as it expires, i will kindly remove it and install another app while inviting peeps to join me.

Trust me, the cost is very negligible.
Just try and find out.

I don't get this constant obsession about the failures of RIM on NL.
Are you peeps talking based on Nigeria or Europe?
I think we should face our own stuff here in Nigeria.
The fact still remains that BBs are still the fastest selling smartphones in Nigeria by a very very wide margin accounting for about 50% of total smartphone sales. No other smartphone comes near.

Finally, BBM is way way better than whatsapp and most chat services I've used. Most times, I get bored by whatsapp and simply close it once I put on my phone.

i don't know if I am the only one seeing it from a different point of view.

what has RIM, whatsapp, etc done that can not be done on yahoo messenger? I have been chatting for decades on my mobile and computer by installing yahoo messenger on them.

It seems like people are interested in the name, or the device itself and not the service, maybe.

Yahoo messenger, fb chat, whatsapp, BBM, they all do the same job, their name are just different.