The once iconic BlackBerry Messenger app BBM has finally arrived on Windows Phones 8/8.1 through a new collaboration between BlackBerry and Microsoft.
BBM, the famous BlackBerry Messenger that was once one of the big reasons to buy a BlackBerry besides its keyboard and email, has finally arrived on Windows Phones.
The news comes a day after reports that BlackBerry is redesigning its iOS and Android BBM apps to deliver a more ‘native’ experience on each platform.
BBM is still used by 85 million monthly active users worldwide, with BBM for Windows Phone building upon the collaboration, privacy and security features BlackBerry says is “at the core of the BBM experience.”
A native app built specifically for the Windows Phone experience, BBM users get access to expected features, such as BBM Chats, Groups and Feeds, with additional features still to come “in future releases”.
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| BBM for Windows Phone |
Bryan Biniak, VP and GM of Developer Experience at Microsoft said: “We are intent on bringing the most popular application experiences to Windows Phone, and with BBM, we are pleased to bring many of its top features to the Windows Phone platform.
“BBM on Windows Phone brings our customers the secure, easy-to-use messaging experience they demand, and we expect that new features will roll out in the months to come.”
John Sims, BlackBerry’s President of Global Enterprise Services said: “As the popularity of BBM continues to grow, we are thrilled to have the opportunity to expand its availability to the Windows Phone community
“The BBM app for Windows Phone shows our commitment to supporting cross-platform capabilities, and we are excited to be working with Microsoft to deliver a new level of collaboration to the Windows Phone platform.”
BlackBerry has posted a guide on using BBM for Windows Phone on its blog, with a video discussing the new release here.
