Blackberry to offer BBM service on rival platforms

 

BlackBerry announced plans on Tuesday to offer its popular instant messaging system on rival devices and introduced a new mid-tier smartphone targeted at countries where its faded brand remains strong.

Tapping into its still robust popularity outside North America, BlackBerry said the new Q5 smartphone would be available starting in July in selected markets in Europe, Latin America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. The Q5 includes the tiny qwerty keyboard that still sets BlackBerry apart from most rivals.

It gave no prices, but as BlackBerry opens the latest chapter of its turnaround attempt, it will clearly target a younger, more price-sensitive crowd with the device, which will be available in colors including pink, red and white.

"BlackBerry is clearly aiming to replicate the success of the BlackBerry Curve in emerging markets," Ovum analyst Adam Leach said, referring to the company's Curve smartphone, which has been popular in India and other developing countries.

But other manufacturers are also seeking a foothold in those markets with low-cost devices, Leach noted.

BlackBerry, under its old name Research In Motion, virtually invented the concept of on-your-hip email with a series of blocky devices with tiny thumb-operated keyboards.

But in recent years it has bled market share to Apple Inc's iPhone and Samsung Electronics Co's popular line of Galaxy devices powered by Google's Android operating system, forcing it into big job cuts and a huge rethink of its products and priorities.

"You know it hasn't been that easy and you also know there is still a lot of work to do, but man, we have reached solid ground with this company," Heins told delegates at the BlackBerry Live conference in Orlando, Florida.

To those who ask if the company can survive the drastic changes he brought in, Heins said: "We are not only still here, we are firing on all cylinders as a company."

Shares in BlackBerry were about 4 percent lower early on Tuesday afternoon as analysts wondered what the Q5's price tag would be. They also questioned if the move to open up BBM, as the BlackBerry Messaging service is popularly known, was too little, too late.

Former co-CEO Jim Balsillie had sought to offer BBM on iPhones and other rivals in a broad strategy shift before he was overruled. He cut all ties to the company early last year.

Heins said BlackBerry Messaging will be offered free of charge to consumers using rival phones.