BBM chat platform for iOS and Android hit 20 million users for the platform in one week, according to the company, bringing the total for BBM to 80 million.
According to the Press Release, in its first week, BBM was the top free overall app in 35 countries in Google Play™ and in 107 countries in the App StoreSM, and continues to maintain a strong position in key markets such as Canada, the US, the UK, Indonesia and much of the Middle East, to name a few.
“It is great to see so many people downloading BBM, but the true measurement for us is engagement – the connections being made and the conversations in which our BBM community engages. The power of BBM has always been the active, real conversations and interaction that our customers enjoy,” said Andrew Bocking, Executive Vice President of BBM at BlackBerry. “From here on out, we will focus on active users of BBM and will no longer focus on simple download numbers.”
BBM’s move to iOS and Android had been rumored for years. The company announced its plans to migrate the platform in May, but the release was behind schedule, hitting in October rather than the summer, as promised.
Though 80 million is an impressive figure for BBM, the messaging app competes with Apple’s iMessage, which has more than 140 million users. Other services, including MessageMe, GroupMe and Facebook Messenger boast equally large and growing users bases.
BlackBerry also met with Facebook execs last week, according to The Wall Street Journal. It remains unclear whether Facebook is interested in placing a bid. Spokesmen for both companies declined to comment. In addition, the company has also reportedly considered spinning off BBM as a separate company.
