This past Friday we bid farewell to BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) consumer service. But rather than look at this as “the end of an era,” we’re choosing to celebrate and fondly remember BBM consumer while looking forward to our exciting next phase.
First, I want to join all of our faithful BBM consumer users in expressing that I too am sad to see it go. The outpouring of posts on social media lamenting BBM consumer speaks to the powerful nostalgia and experience our company was able to craft. Personally, I will miss using separate channels with friends and family and fun features like stickers and emojis to interact with them. What I’ll always treasure, though, are the experiences, relationships and conversations made possible by our BBM consumer service and platform.
This closing chapter on BBM consumer does not mean the end of BlackBerry Messenger’s story. In fact, it’s just the opposite. We’re excited to offer our BBM Enterprise (BBMe) encrypted chat service to all individual users. With BBMe, our loyal BlackBerry Messenger users now have robust end-to-end encryption at their fingertips. As an enterprise-grade messaging platform, users who adopt BBMe will have the reliable text-based communication of BBM’s consumer service with greater levels of security and privacy built in.
The incredible reaction our users have shown speaks to the history of BBM. But I’m equally as excited about BBMe becoming a trusted and secure messaging app for all. BBMe is already trusted by governments and major corporations around the world. These organizations know that the need for privacy and security are paramount. Whether you are a head of state, head of a bank, or head of your child’s sports team, know that BlackBerry will never monetize your data. We will always ensure your data is yours, you control it, and its secure and private. I hope you enjoy using BBMe.
