 "BlackBerry considering separate subsidiary for BBM Messenger service")
BlackBerry may be planning to set up its messaging service, BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), as a separate subsidiary with more independence, according to the Wall Street Journal. This news comes hot on the heels of the company setting up a special committee to explore strategic alternatives, which could include a possible outright sale of the company.
From what is known so far, it looks like the subsidiary may be called BBM Inc., and the company is reportedly moving executives from the core company over to the BBM team. And that is just the tip of the iceberg, as it seems like BlackBerry is also looking at a number of options for BBM beyond messaging. These options will look beyond the tools already rolled out for BlackBerry users, like video chatting, according to the source.
BlackBerry head honcho Thorsten Heins had earlier announced that BBM would be rolled out for other platforms this year. This cross-platform app is being positioned to take on the likes of messaging services like WhatsApp and WeTalk, which have outpaced BBM in terms of popularity in the last few years.
BBM may soon be a separate company
According to the company, BBM currently has 60 million monthly active users. WhatsApp on the other hand, boasts a user base of more than 300 million active users. In an attempt to address this, the company is reportedly adding to the BBM experience by rolling out a previously announced service called BBM Channels.
This service functions some-what like Twitter and will allow brands and celebrities to have a more interactive experience with customers and fans respectively. The company is even looking at bringing BBM to desktop computers, according to the source.
While talking about this, a BlackBerry spokeswoman said, “We have announced our plans to offer this trusted mobile messaging service to iPhone and Android users sometime this summer. We have made no further announcements.” Adding to her statement, the spokeswoman said, “We haven’t announced any initiatives to bring BBM to the desktop.”
BlackBerry has been facing staggered sales and a shrinking customer base for a while now. Despite having lost its dominant position in the global smartphone market, its messaging service has been able to retain much of its popularity. The company is reportedly trying to position BBM as a rival not just for messaging services like WhatsApp but for Internet biggies like Twitter or Skype as well.
Sources have stated, though, that many of these plans have been in the pipeline for years. A working cross-platform BBM service has been operational and ready for launch for years now, according to the source. At the time, executives chose not to release this for the market. Within the company, a desktop version of BBM was also seen a year ago, but was left unreleased at the time as well.
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