The end of an Era: Blackberry Messenger shuts down completely

May 31 2019 signals the last day of the once famous Blackberry Messenger. There was once a time when the Blackberry Messenger was the unique selling point (USP) for Blackberry owners and it was the only messaging app available.

Emtek, the company now behind the app, announced this last month that it was pulling the plug for the consumer edition at the end of May.

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.

We poured our hearts into making this a reality, and we are proud of what we have built to date.

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.

The Blackberry Messenger was launched in 2005 by Research In Motion. However eleven years later, Indonesia-based tech conglomerate Emtek, acquired the licensing rights for the service.

With the declining fortunes of Research in Motion (RIM) and the rise of other platforms like WhatsApp,  iMessage, Blackberry Messenger did not stand a chance. It even tried to move with the flow by making the app available on Android and iOS, but it was way too late.

But Emtek says that the Blackberry Messenger enterprise edition will still be available. It will be available through the Google Play Store and eventually from the Apple App Store. The service will be free for one year and after that, $2.49 for six months of service. This version of the software, like the consumer version, still features group chats, voice and video calls and the ability to edit and retract messages.

Well BBM was good while it lasted and it paved the way for others to rise.