More than one analyst has suggested that BlackBerry Messenger is one of the few parts of BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB) that’s actually worth anything, Even the company itself has been said to be considering spinning off BBM into a separate company. But unfortunately BBM may not end up being worth anything at all if it can’t push downloads of the popular messaging app out to iOS and Android phones.
Summer’s over, so where’s BBM?
Blackberry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB) said earlier this year that it would roll BBM out to Android and iOS phones sometime this summer, but as you can see, fall is here and there’s still no sign of the official apps. We even saw the company’s “official launch dates” for both versions come and go, but problems with the apps are keeping them off the market.
Android and iOS users should beware fake versions of the app which continue to appear in the app stores for both platforms. The best way to know for sure when the real versions launch is still to sign up for a notification when the real BBM app becomes available for Android and iOS phones. You can sign up at BBM.com, if you still care about the app.
BlackBerry updates on BBM still limited
Since the botched rollout of BBM on the two major rival platforms, updates from BlackBerry have been rather limited. The last update on this issue came from BBM head Andrew Bocking and was posting on the company’s official blog.
He states that they continue to have problems with the unreleased older version of BBM for Android which was posted on several file sharing sites before the official launch. He said they were having trouble completely blocking the version. According to Bocking, they are “now focused on adjusting the system to completely block this unreleased version of the Android app.”
Last week BlackBerry revealed the Windows Phone version of the app, but once again, we have no launch date for it. If you’re skeptical that the thing will ever see the light of day, then you’re not the only one.
How will the failure of BBM affect BlackBerry?
BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB) runs the risk of fewer and fewer people caring about the app and downloading it the longer its promise goes unfulfilled. If BBM fails, it’s another nail in the company’s coffin. The risk of the company not passing the due diligence process from the consortium led by Fairfax increases even further. After all, without BBM, the value of the company is lower than previously estimated.
