Goodbye BBM! BlackBerry Messenger shutting down next month
After 14 years of service, the iconic BlackBerry Messenger, the service that introduced us to web-based instant messaging, is coming to an end. Emtek, the group managing the consumer version of BBM since 2016, has announced that the service would be shuttered on May 31, marking the end of an era for BBM lovers. Here are all the details.
Before WhatsApp and Facebook, there was BBM
Launched in 2005, BBM was the first full-fledged mobile chat service that offered something better than paid text messaging. It grew popular due to the element of convenience and cost-effectiveness over regular messages, which had their own annoying limits, especially delay in responses. Notably, BBM even offered features (like emoji support) that weren't available in mobile phone 'Inbox' back in the day.
However, support marred BBM's success story
While BBM had everything to dominate the instant messaging scene, it remained a BlackBerry exclusive product for years - a fact that marred its user-base and contributed to its impending demise. The platform was opened for Android and iOS users in 2013, but it was way too late by then; BBM had lost out its user-base to rivals, which included WhatsApp, WeChat, and others.
Now, the consumer version of BBM will be killed
In 2016, BBM went into the hands of Indonesian company Emtek which has now announced that the consumer version of the service would be killed on May 31. They said that despite trying to revive BBM with enhanced messaging and content consumption features, the service has failed to take off with the users, who seemed to have moved to other options.
Here's what Emtek said while explaining the departure
"We are proud of what we have built to date," the company said in a statement. "The technology industry however, is very fluid, and in spite of our substantial efforts, users have moved on to other platforms, while new users proved difficult to sign on."
BBM's enterprise version still remains
Now, if you're still a BBM fan and want to re-experience the service, there's an enterprise version which will continue to work even after the death of the consumer edition. This particular version, dubbed BBMe, offers added capabilities like editing and unsending messages but you will have to pay $2.5 every six months for it - after an initial one-year-long free trial.
BBM's goodbye message!
"Though we're sad to say goodbye, the time has come to sunset the BBM consumer service, and for us to move on. We hope you will cherish many fond memories of BBM consumer service that helped shape messenger platforms to become what they are today."
