BlackBerry has announced that its BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) apps for Android and iOS have already been downloaded more than 20 million times.
It means it now has more than 80 million active users globally across BlackBerry, Android and iPhone devices.
BlackBerry re-launched the Android and iOS apps last week, after problems with a rogue version of the Android app forced BlackBerry to suspend the rollout for almost a month.
BBM quickly rose through the rankings on the App Store to become the number one free app in 107 countries and top free app in 35 countries in Google Play during its first week.
“It is great to see so many people downloading BBM, but the true measurement for us is engagement – the connections being made and the conversations in which our BBM community engages,” said Andrew Bocking, Executive Vice President of BBM at BlackBerry.“The power of BBM has always been the active, real conversations and interaction that our customers enjoy. From here on out, we will focus on active users of BBM and will no longer focus on simple download numbers.”
Previously exclusive to BlackBerry smartphones, BBM is now available as a free download in Google Play and the App Store. Android smartphones must be running Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean (Android 4.x) and iPhones must be running iOS 6 and iOS 7.
Customers can download BBM by visiting www.BBM.com from their smartphone browser.
Android and iPhone users who download the BBM app will be able to carry out both one-on-one and group text chats, and share files such as photos and voice notes instantly. They will also be able to send a message to all of their BBM contacts in one go using the ‘Broadcast Message’ function.
BBM is widely perceived as BlackBerry’s most valuable asset aside from its corporate email, BlackBerry Enterprise Server. However, its 80m users are already dwarved by the 200m people who use the WhatsApp service, which currently works across platforms, and has replaced text messages for many of its young users.
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