BlackBerry Messenger to shut down on May 31

If you are one of the few left using BBM, then there is some sad news for you. The service is shutting down for consumers on May 31. On its official blog, BBM says, it's time to say goodbye. The blog reads, “Three years ago, we set out to reinvigorate BBM consumer service, one of the most loved instant messaging applications, as a cross-platform service where users can not only chat and share life experiences but also consume content and use payment services”. 

The blog goes on to say that it is because of the fluidity of the industry that users have moved onto other platforms. The blog reads, “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. Though we are sad to say goodbye, the time has come to sunset the BBM consumer service, and for us to move on.”  

There is however a ray of hope for BBM loyalist users. Mark Wilson, Chief Marketing Officer, BlackBerry said, "While we respect Emtek's decision, we're disappointed the platform did not thrive and grow as expected. After much consideration, we decided that BBM's loyal users should continue to have a secure messaging platform that they can trust." 

Individual users don't need to wait till May 31 to access BBMe which is being made available to individuals that still want to be on the BlackBerry secure platform. Users can download BBMe from the Google Play store now. The app will be available soon for Apple users via the App Store. BBMe will be available for free for the first year to users after which it will charge a subscription fee of $2.49 (Rs 170 approx directly converted) for a 6-month subscription. 

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Sameer Mitha

Sameer Mitha lives for gaming and technology is his muse. When he isn’t busy playing with gadgets or video games he delves into the world of fantasy novels. View Full Profile