Struggling smartphone maker BlackBerry has begun its foray into the world of social media, with the long-awaited rollout of its popular instant messaging (IM) service, BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), to iPhone and Android yesterday.
BBM is now available in Google Play, Apple's App Store and certain Samsung App stores for all continents - apart from Africa, where it will be available for free download within three days.
This comes six months after the Canadian company announced plans to open up BBM as the first step towards placing the IM facility squarely in the social media arena, with the eventual launch of a planned Facebook-like platform, dubbed BBM Channels.
A new social engagement platform within BBM that will allow users to connect and engage with businesses, brands and celebrities, BBM Channels was planned to leverage the 60 million-strong BlackBerry user base the company had in May, for new iPhone and Android users, to monetise the service.
Torrential take-up
News that the rollout of BBM for Android and iPhone users - expected last month already, but delayed by technical issues - has kept established social media platforms abuzz since last night, with #BBM still trending on Twitter this morning.
Last week, BlackBerry said six million Android and iPhone users had pre-registered for the launch via BBM.com. Within seven hours, about one million Android users were using the unreleased version of BBM for Android - and more than a million people had found ways of "side-loading" BBM on their iPhone. Within eight hours of launch last night, over five million BBM downloads had taken place.
Head of BBM Andrew Bocking called the torrent of downloads unprecedented, and said the company has implemented a line-up system to ensure smooth rollout.
The system (set to be operative locally within this week) consists of three steps:
1. Download BBM by visiting BBM.com from your Android or iPhone browser;
2. Open the BBM app once installed and enter your e-mail address "to hold your spot in line"; and
3. BlackBerry will send an e-mail as soon "as you reach the front of the line" - after which you can start using BBM.
Bocking says those who signed up in advance should be able to start using BBM immediately, while for those who did not: "don't worry - we are focused on moving millions of customers through the line as fast as possible".
He says BlackBerry developers and engineers have made upgrades to the BBM platform - details of which will be shared "soon".
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