Tag Archives: BlackberryMessenger

BlackBerry Messenger Enterprise promises secure comms for business

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Faulting BlackBerry for its lack of apps or antiquated design ideas was fair, but the firm's dedication to security spoke for itself. The company is going to take that reputation and use it to retool BlackBerry Messenger as an enterprise-level commun...

BlackBerry is leaving Pakistan over demands for backdoor access

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BlackBerry has announced it's formally shutting down shop in Pakistan over demands from the country's Telecommunications Authority that backdoor access be granted to the company's encrypted services. Back in July, local carriers were ordered to shut...

Inside look at BlackBerry reveals failed ‘SMS 2.0’ push, qualms over Z10 launch

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Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie

We're familiar with much of BlackBerry's history, but there are a few unanswered questions: why did Jim Balsillie resign his board position, for example? And why did the Z10 launch ahead of Q10, to disastrous results? Thankfully, The Globe and Mail has addressed some of these mysteries through a detailed exposé. We now know that Balsillie left the board after BlackBerry axed an "SMS 2.0" plan that would have replaced carriers' text services with BlackBerry Messenger. Thorsten Heins wanted the company to remain focused on hardware, according to the newspaper. As for the Z10? Heins reportedly prioritized the all-touch phone over the objections of board members like Mike Lazaridis, who saw the Q10's keyboard as necessary for standing out in a crowded market. There's even more to the story than these two revelations, so you'll want to visit the source link if you're wondering just how BlackBerry ended up in such dire straits.

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Source: The Globe and Mail

BlackBerry pauses BBM rollout for Android and iOS following leak

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BBM for Android and iOS

We hope you weren't scheduling your weekend around the launch of BBM for Android and iOS, as BlackBerry has paused the rollout following a leak of the Android version. There were too many simultaneous users, the company says; with over 1.1 million active clients in the first eight hours, the messaging service just wasn't ready to handle the load. There's no mention of when the BBM deployment will continue, although BlackBerry is disabling the unofficial Android build to prevent future problems. Unless you grabbed BBM's iOS version in the first several hours, you'll just have to be patient.

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Source: Inside BlackBerry

BlackBerry Messenger app arriving on Android and iOS this weekend

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BlackBerry's effort to extend its messaging service beyond its own failed hardware has finally come to fruition. After some awkward false starts, plus a detailed leak, BlackBerry Messenger apps for iOS and Android will soon be available for download at the respective app stores, allowing members of those more popular ecosystems to do... well, chat-related things that they could largely do already, except now through BlackBerry's BBM servers. The company has confirmed that the Android BBM app will launch at 7AM ET on Saturday, while its iOS equivalent will be available beginning at 12:01AM local time (in each market) on Sunday. More details at the source link below.

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Source: BlackBerry

BBM for Android will look like this: beta tester gives you the tour (video)

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BBM for Android Beta tester give you the tour video

BlackBerry Messenger's trip to iOS and Android is taking longer than we hoped, but when walkthrough videos are starting to leak out, it's a good sign that you're on the final stretch. Courtesy of JT and BlackBerryOS, we've now got an early peek of what it'll look like when the app eventually lands. Combining BBM's rigorous chat app with our favorite Android keyboards sounds mighty tempting and it appears the app follows the bezel-swiping navigation of the BlackBerry 10 OS to get to your chat threads and groups. The video walkthrough (included after the break) also touches on the ability to transfer contacts through NFC, which is good sign that the messaging app will make the most of these the new mobile OSes.

Update: Within minutes of posting, the video's gone private. At least we'll have the memories, right? We're back!

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Via: CrackBerry

Source: BlackBerryOS

WSJ: BlackBerry mulling spinning off BBM subsidiary, considering desktop version

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We'll say this, BlackBerry looks to be considering everything when it comes to pulling in revenue from its messaging service. False alarms aside, the company already let slip that BlackBerry Messenger is on its way to iOS and Android some time this season, and now according to The Wall Street Journal's usual gang of anonymous sources "familiar with the matter," the Canadian company is thinking of spinning off the service as a more independent subsidiary carrying the straight-forward name, BBM Inc. ahead of a potential sale. A desktop version of the app may be on the docket as well, according to the article -- BlackBerry, naturally, only reconfirmed its Android and iOS plans, refusing to comment on anything else.

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Via: BGR

Source: Wall Street Journal

BBM expected to arrive on iOS and Android June 27th (update: nope)

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BBM expected to arrive on iOS and Android June 27th

BlackBerry Messenger may seem like a distant memory for many who have made the jump to iOS or Android, but it'll soon be time to get reacquainted. According to a tweet from T-Mobile UK, we should expect to see the service arrive on both platforms on June 27th. BBM should be available as a free download specifically for anyone using iOS 6 and Android 4.0 or above, so make sure your device is properly updated before the end of the month -- hopefully the messaging service will make you want to create new memories in addition to the ones you've relished in years past.

Update: T-Mobile UK has since deleted its tweet, and BlackBerry has confirmed that the June 27th date is inaccurate.

Update 2: Here is BlackBerry's official statement on the matter:

On May 14th, BlackBerry announced plans to make its ground-breaking mobile social network, BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), available to iOS and Android users this summer, subject to approval by the Apple App Store and Google Play. While there have been reports that BBM will be available to iOS and Android on June 27th, this is not accurate. We will communicate an update as soon as we have an availability date to share.

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Via: Slashgear

Source: T-Mobile UK (Twitter)

BBM app for iOS and Android won’t run on tablets at first

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BBM app for iOS and Android won't run on tablets at first

Tablet users eager to hop on the BBM bandwagon with BlackBerry's standalone app will have to tamper down their enthusiasm. Vivek Bhardwaj, head of the BlackBerry Software Portfolio, told TrustedReviews that the company will focus exclusively on smartphones running iOS 6 and Android 4.0 or above for this summer's launch. "Smartphone is our real focus and again it comes back to what BBM is. If you look [at] BBM and the engagement and the activity, it's because it is mobile, because people are on the go," Bhardwaj said. Meaning, iPad owners will be bereft of a tablet-supported BBM app until BlackBerry sees fit to develop one. There might still be hope for BBM on larger screens at some point, though. Perhaps hinting at BlackBerry's plans for the future, Bhardwaj said, "I think when you look at things like Smart TVs and desktops, those are definitely areas for exploration."

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Via: SlashGear

Source: TrustedReviews

‘Leaked’ BlackBerry 10 info shows video chat and screen sharing in BBM, new task manager

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'Leaked' BlackBerry 10 info shows video chat and screen sharing in BBM, new task manager

Top dog at RIM Thorsten Heins heavily implied that video chat would be added to BBM when BlackBerry 10 showed up, and now possible confirmation of the feature has come from what are thought to be leaked presentation slides. Originating on CrackBerry's forums, the images have been taken down on various sites, leading us to believe they're legit and that strongly worded requests have led to their removal. Not only do they suggest BBM video chat is coming to BB10, but also the ability to screen share during these video calls. Another slide details a new task manager for the OS called "BlackBerry Remember," which can sync with Outlook and -- based on its description and what was uncovered in the gold SDK -- may include Evernote integration. We've contacted RIM for comment and will update you with any response, but until then, take a look at the slide above and the pair hidden after the break to assess for yourself whether they're the real deal.

Update: Here's RIM's statement, which doesn't really come as much of a surprise:

"We understand that there is a lot of excitement for BlackBerry 10. We will launch the platform on January 30th and until then we won't comment on speculation."

Continue reading 'Leaked' BlackBerry 10 info shows video chat and screen sharing in BBM, new task manager

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Via: All About Phones

Source: CrackBerry (1), (2)