Research in Motion (RIM) is the owner of the BlackBerry brand. The Blackberry was the first to offer the most exciting features in the history of smartphone, the Canadian phone maker ruled the industry for so many years before the rivals came and took the market. It was like RIM was sleeping, didn’t upgrade to what consumers desires most until the rivals took over.
The BlackBerry Messenger, was the first successful mobile to mobile instant messenger, and RIM used this feature to rule the smartphone world. Even till date, so many people are fund of “Pinging”. Except in Canada which is the home country, most smartphone users in the developed nations where RIM operates has switched to iPhone and Android, but around the developing nation, the “PING” still reigns and RIM has a large market exploration.
For few years back, in the US, UK and around the major markets, the BlackBerry brand is almost going into extinction as the RIM stock was continually drowning every single quarter. Thanks to the latest BlackBerry product, BlackBerry 10, I will tag it “RIM’s Revival”. RIM bounced back with the BlackBerry 10 early this year with great and fascinating features.
The new BlackBerry 10 with its great features, and the ancient BlackBerry Messenger remained what RIM is holding up to to stay in the competition.
No smartphone maker has been able to achieve the kind of success RIM has gotten with the BlackBerry Messenger except recently when a third party developer, developed an a messenger app that works and has the layout of the BlackBerry Messenger. The app I am referring to is called “WhatsApp.” Within few months of launch, the WhatsApp app is already contending with the BBM because it was a cross platform messenger. BBM users can only chat, send voice and share files with BlackBerry users, but in addition to this features, the WhatsApp works on iOS, Android, Nokia Symbian and even on BlackBerry, meaning that you can interconnect on these platforms.
This became a point of concern to RIM, and recently on the BlackBerry Blog, I saw a press release with headline “BlackBerry Plans To Launch BBM Across Multiple Platforms This Summer.” Reading the story, I got to know that a BBM app for the iOS and Android had been submitted for approval on the Apple store and Google Play, and according to plan, it should start download this summer.
Now, BlackBerry users can connect with the iPhone and Android users. Great inter-connectivity, I love it, my fiancee is an Android user and I have got a BlackBerry.
Since the BlackBerry Messenger will now be coming on Android and iOS, I wonder what the future holds for BlackBerry? The BBM has been a great strategy for long, making the market for RIM.
Is RIM gradually succumbing to the big players? Or it is already planning a new strategy?
This is a great issue in the history of smartphone, share your thought in the comment box below!
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