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It depends how you define 'stupid'. I see advertisements day in and day out for BBM. Not for RIM's latest phone, not for a new RIM app, but specifically for BB

It depends how you define 'stupid'. I see advertisements day in and day out for BBM. Not for RIM's latest phone, not for a new RIM app, but specifically for BBM. Why? Because RIM has realized that one of the only things keeping a large % of their user base around is BBM. Their OS is horrible, their devices are nothing special, but BBM is arguably the best mobile messaging product out there (so good that Kik pretty much copied it exactly). I have friends that won't replace their BBs solely because they feel as though they'll lose touch with their friends that use BBM (I know, SMS, email etc. all seem like fair replacements but in practice they aren't...BBM is superior for a # of reasons). Now, what is Kik doing? It is offering a comparable messaging platform that allows BBM users to speak with their friends no matter what device they are using. If I tell my friends with BBs to get Kik and we all start to use it consistently, then eventually one of us can go get that iPhone we've always wanted. Then another one etc. Kik is on the verge of breaking into the walled garden that is BBM and RIM is obviously not too happy about it.

axiom 16y ago
Fair enough, and that's quite likely what RIM is thinking. But do you think it's a smart strategy for RIM to try to stay relevant by blocking hot apps on their platform? would it not be a more sane strategy for them to make their devices better, and to open up their platform so that others can easily develop more great apps on it? This just seems like such a dumb short-sighted move.
- dedward 16y ago
  It's only dumb and short-sighted until you look at the amount of money at stake. BBM truly is the only app holding a great many people back from ditching their blackberries for android or i-devices. The second we find a reliable way to transition away from the blackberry, today, we would. The blackberry has to keep a lock on it's last and only killer app while it finds a way to stay relevant.
  - nikster 16y ago
    ^^^ Yes.
powerje 16y ago
Could you elaborate on why BBM is superior? When I ask friends who use the service they tell me their favorite features are instant communication (Jabber clients on other devices also have this right?) and the fact that they can tell when the other party has viewed their message (something I'd personally disable).
thought_alarm 16y ago
The lock-in argument doesn't hold much water. RIM already provides IM clients for Google Talk, Yahoo, and MSN, with pretty much the exact same UI and features as BBM. The quality of their Google Talk client is one of the things keeping me on BlackBerry.
- nikster 16y ago
  None of these are especially created for mobile. Or aimed squarely at BBM with the same features. I had been thinking about creating BBM for other platforms simply because I'd like to have it on my iPhone.
  - hugothefrog 16y ago
    WhatsApp is a near approximation of BBM on the iPhone (and other devices, I believe). Their reliability isn't great, however.
    - ba217 16y ago
      WhatsApp has better reliability, more handset clients, more features, and more users.
  - Ennis 16y ago
    How would you create a BBM client for other platforms? You wouldn't be able to authenticate with BB servers since you have no PIN.
- gustaf 16y ago
  BBM = Mobile - Mobile Messaging GTalk/MSN etc = Mobile - Desktop Messaging The use cases are completely different.
  - LordLandon 16y ago
    What if you run gtalk on your blackberry, and I run gtalk on my android phone. Is that still Mobile - Desktop?
nikster 16y ago
^^Agree. Kik is a BBM clone. Surprisingly badly done, actually, from what I can tell - but still, it's aiming straight for BBM. If it gains traction, it might turn into a BBM competitor which is available on all platforms, thereby removing _the_ primary reason BBs sell like hotcakes here in Asia. I guess I should backtrack - BB in SE Asia (and probably other regions world wide) is THE must have phone for every student, college or high school. You either have one, or you want one. The reason for this is BBM. Clever marketing and the fact that most students already have BB make it a social must have. You either have a BB or you're out. They're selling them by the bucketloads, it's quite incredible. Without BBM, there is no way BB would sell _any_ phones over here. So clearly they must protect it. If students somehow would get turned on to Kik, and you didn't need the - let's admit it rather ugly-looking - BB to use it, Blackberry sales in the region would die overnight. Anyone else find it deliciously ironic that BB is now blatantly doing what Apple is usually accused of doing?
- brisance 16y ago
  Which part of "SE Asia"? BB is popular in Indonesia, but that's about it. The "it" phone everywhere else has always been iPhone and shipping times have been stuck at 2 weeks as recently as early November. Google Trends bears this out. There is not a single ASEAN country other than Indonesia where BB comes out ahead in normalized searches.
  - teejae 16y ago
    BB is also the phone to have in Venezuela, which I just visited a few weeks ago. All because of BBM.
brianbreslin 16y ago
Kik developeR was previously a project manager on bbm I believe. Edit: someone below says he was an intern
wh-uws 16y ago
What exactly is so good about BBM? I've never owned or really spent much time using a blackberry because of the other reason's you've mentioned. "Their OS is horrible, their devices are nothing special." So what is it that users find so great about it? (Asking legitimately out of curiosity not sarcastically )
- mbesto 16y ago
  No joke, every BB person I've ever talked to lives and dies by their BBM and plastic keyboard. Couple of reasons people like BBM so much (observation of BB friends): 1) You can see when someone is typing 2) It's very fast and feels like your talking with someone on gchat/aim/etc 3) Most BBM users are already "locked in" with eachother via BB PIN #'s. It would be like changing your phone number if you got off BB 4) A person in the US can BBM a person in the UK for free
  - ni_nad 16y ago
    Except for the plastic keyboard, I don't see any advantage. Use a decent Jabber client (I'm using Beem on Android) and you get all these features on gchat, with just your gmail address. Plus, figure out the priority thing right, and you can have all the messages delivered to the right client. GTalk broadcasts to all clients by default, but the better IM clients give you an option to send and receive.

axiom 16y ago

Fair enough, and that's quite likely what RIM is thinking. But do you think it's a smart strategy for RIM to try to stay relevant by blocking hot apps on their platform? would it not be a more sane strategy for them to make their devices better, and to open up their platform so that others can easily develop more great apps on it? This just seems like such a dumb short-sighted move.

dedward 16y ago
It's only dumb and short-sighted until you look at the amount of money at stake. BBM truly is the only app holding a great many people back from ditching their blackberries for android or i-devices. The second we find a reliable way to transition away from the blackberry, today, we would. The blackberry has to keep a lock on it's last and only killer app while it finds a way to stay relevant.
- nikster 16y ago
  ^^^ Yes.

powerje 16y ago

Could you elaborate on why BBM is superior? When I ask friends who use the service they tell me their favorite features are instant communication (Jabber clients on other devices also have this right?) and the fact that they can tell when the other party has viewed their message (something I'd personally disable).

thought_alarm 16y ago

The lock-in argument doesn't hold much water. RIM already provides IM clients for Google Talk, Yahoo, and MSN, with pretty much the exact same UI and features as BBM. The quality of their Google Talk client is one of the things keeping me on BlackBerry.

nikster 16y ago
None of these are especially created for mobile. Or aimed squarely at BBM with the same features. I had been thinking about creating BBM for other platforms simply because I'd like to have it on my iPhone.
- hugothefrog 16y ago
  WhatsApp is a near approximation of BBM on the iPhone (and other devices, I believe). Their reliability isn't great, however.
  - ba217 16y ago
    WhatsApp has better reliability, more handset clients, more features, and more users.
- Ennis 16y ago
  How would you create a BBM client for other platforms? You wouldn't be able to authenticate with BB servers since you have no PIN.
gustaf 16y ago
BBM = Mobile - Mobile Messaging GTalk/MSN etc = Mobile - Desktop Messaging The use cases are completely different.
- LordLandon 16y ago
  What if you run gtalk on your blackberry, and I run gtalk on my android phone. Is that still Mobile - Desktop?

nikster 16y ago

^^Agree. Kik is a BBM clone. Surprisingly badly done, actually, from what I can tell - but still, it's aiming straight for BBM. If it gains traction, it might turn into a BBM competitor which is available on all platforms, thereby removing _the_ primary reason BBs sell like hotcakes here in Asia. I guess I should backtrack - BB in SE Asia (and probably other regions world wide) is THE must have phone for every student, college or high school. You either have one, or you want one. The reason for this is BBM. Clever marketing and the fact that most students already have BB make it a social must have. You either have a BB or you're out. They're selling them by the bucketloads, it's quite incredible. Without BBM, there is no way BB would sell _any_ phones over here. So clearly they must protect it. If students somehow would get turned on to Kik, and you didn't need the - let's admit it rather ugly-looking - BB to use it, Blackberry sales in the region would die overnight. Anyone else find it deliciously ironic that BB is now blatantly doing what Apple is usually accused of doing?

brisance 16y ago
Which part of "SE Asia"? BB is popular in Indonesia, but that's about it. The "it" phone everywhere else has always been iPhone and shipping times have been stuck at 2 weeks as recently as early November. Google Trends bears this out. There is not a single ASEAN country other than Indonesia where BB comes out ahead in normalized searches.
- teejae 16y ago
  BB is also the phone to have in Venezuela, which I just visited a few weeks ago. All because of BBM.

brianbreslin 16y ago

Kik developeR was previously a project manager on bbm I believe. Edit: someone below says he was an intern

wh-uws 16y ago

What exactly is so good about BBM? I've never owned or really spent much time using a blackberry because of the other reason's you've mentioned. "Their OS is horrible, their devices are nothing special." So what is it that users find so great about it? (Asking legitimately out of curiosity not sarcastically )

mbesto 16y ago
No joke, every BB person I've ever talked to lives and dies by their BBM and plastic keyboard. Couple of reasons people like BBM so much (observation of BB friends): 1) You can see when someone is typing 2) It's very fast and feels like your talking with someone on gchat/aim/etc 3) Most BBM users are already "locked in" with eachother via BB PIN #'s. It would be like changing your phone number if you got off BB 4) A person in the US can BBM a person in the UK for free
- ni_nad 16y ago
  Except for the plastic keyboard, I don't see any advantage. Use a decent Jabber client (I'm using Beem on Android) and you get all these features on gchat, with just your gmail address. Plus, figure out the priority thing right, and you can have all the messages delivered to the right client. GTalk broadcasts to all clients by default, but the better IM clients give you an option to send and receive.