BBM Android, iPhone release 'too little too late'
Africa
,
19 Sep 2013
BBM Android, iPhone release 'too little too late'
Late to the game: this is how one analyst has described BlackBerry’s move to make its popular instant messaging service BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) available for Android and iPhone customers.
The Canadian smartphone maker announced that as of September 21, BBM is planned to be available as a free download for Android smartphones running the Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean versions of the Google operating system.
Meanwhile, BBM for iPhones running iOS 6 and iOS 7 is expected to be available from the App Store on September 22.
According to a company statement, customers will be able to download the messaging service from their smartphone browser.
However, Frost & Sullivan ICT business unit leader Ian Duvenage has told ITWeb Africa that while BlackBerry's decision to launch its Android and iOS BBM app is a move in the right direction, it could also be too late.
Dunvenage explains that BlackBerry's move comes after competing instant messaging apps such as WhatsApp and WeChat are already available on various handset makes.
“This might help BlackBerry get a broader market base but I also have to ask is it a bit late,” he said.
Duvenage explains that in making the service available on Android and Apple devices, BlackBerry runs the risk that people may actually not purchase its devices.
“What would make you move back to BBM on a BlackBerry device?”
The company’s move to make its flagship service available on more platforms comes as it continues to lose ground in the global smartphone market.
The firm’s BlackBerry 10 smartphones, which it viewed as part of its key turnaround strategy, have failed to gain traction with consumers.
In markets such as the US, BlackBerry’s market share has shrunk from almost 50% in 2009 to less than 3% this year, according to figures released by the International Data Corporation (IDC).
Earlier this year it was also reported that BlackBerry was weighing its options: one of which could include an outright sale of the company.
In African markets, though, BlackBerry has performed above its global average.
GfK Retail and Technology said earlier this year that BlackBerry has been the number one smartphone vendor in South Africa for the past two years. GfK has gone on to say that in Nigeria, RIM has been the number one smartphone vendor in that country for over a year.