After Facebook offered $19 billion for WhatsApp
, BlackBerry CEO John Chen had an epiphany. Realizing that BBM might be a hidden jewel inside BlackBerry, and understanding that WhatsApp was valued at $42 for each subscriber
, he opened up BBM to iOS and Android subscribers. It was a smart idea, since it added a large number of new users for BBM, thus raising the value of the messaging app.
The executive also has promised Windows Phone users that they too, would be allowed to subscribe to BBM
. And while this has yet to take place, earlier speculation had the app opening up to Microsoft's mobile OS platform between May and June. The timing then, couldn't be better for a photograph posted by a Reddit account holder. The picture shows that BBM should soon be available on the Windows Phone Store. In addition, BBM is supposedly going to be offered as a pre-loaded app on the Nokia Lumia 630
.The reason why this is so important for BlackBerry, is that BBM could eventually be a source of cash if things get tight. And as previously noted, the higher the number of BBM subscribers, the more the platform will fetch in a sale. John Chen has also started to monetize BBM
by signing up major advertisers for sponsored discussion groups with BBM Channels. In addition, a recent update to BBM added the BBM Store, where users can purchase BBM Stickers
.BBM is not worth anywhere near the $19 billion that WhatsApp fetched from Facebook
, at least not yet. But BlackBerry is doing all the right things in pumping up the value of BBM. And soon, iOS, Android and Windows Phone users will be able to use BBM Video
which might add even more members to the messaging app.
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