WhatsApp no threat to BBM: Blackberry bod says pretender's buyout will HELP ailing firm You could forgive BlackBerry for being grumpy after Facebook acquired WhatsApp for $16bn. After all, WhatsApp is a very obvious knock-off of BlackBerry's BBM. But for years BlackBerry kept BBM locked inside BlackBerry phones - and only last year opened it up as a real cross platform OTT messaging app. Did BlackBerry kick …
Usual crap no brain used post from an AC
Chen is all about enterprise saving BB and BBM along with BES is a massive part of it.
Oh and the anti Zuck brigade will grow and want the best non Facebook Whatsapp alternative which is BBM......
As to an SMS killer, only if everyone in the world has it would it work, unlike SMS where I only need the phone number. Add to that the choice of a secure system (BB) or an open one (all the others) I know where I want to be.
I have a work provided blackberry, and have had for years. A few years ago, a few of us used BBM. However, a couple of years ago the standard cell at work became the iphone. Once that happened, no one used BBM anymore. I am still on blackberry as the cellular company my phone is through never carried the iphone. They do now, and I would guess when my current phone is replaced they will replace it with an iphone. I know they want to get rid of the BES at some point.
I think John Chen was asked that this week, and he said something along the lines of "if someone wanted to buy BBM for $16bn of course I would sell - my first duty is to the shareholders". Can't see anyone making any sort of offer though (no-one wanted the whole company for $4bn remember), and I think BBM will happily carve out it's niche as *the* secure messaging system, as opposed to the one that rifles through your phonebook, links all the numbers with facebook profiles, and who knows what else they'll come up with.
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