BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB) may come up with Skype like VOIP service in the near future. In a media briefing recently, David Proulx, the senior director of BBM Business Development said that BBM voice will be a free feature in the phone, but did not rule out the possibility of coming up with Skype-like feature, says a report from Emirates247.
“The Skype model is one possibility. There are also other approaches that we can take in terms of monetization,” said Proulx.
Plans to monetize the BBM popularity
BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB) director added that the company is still investing in the organic elements that allure users, and a large user base is the key to monetization. Proulx also said that the goal is to expand BBM to as many end-points as possible.
Canadian Smartphone maker has already confirmed the launch of BBM for Windows, and in the span of next few months the service will be rolled out on other major platforms. He said that a BBM user should be able to connect with his friends across all platforms. According to Proulx, after rolling BBM on Android and iOS, the company is looking forward to launching the app on Windows mobile version within the next three months. He added that the company launched support for Gingerbread and is already on Nokia X.
BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB)’s most popular app BBM has seen its popularity grow on other platforms as well, and the app has a user base of 85 million active users out of the total number of 113 million registered users.
BlackBerry following multi-pronged approach
Proulx said that the company will not monetize on the cost of user’s experience or satisfaction, and every step taken will drive more value for the customers. BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB) will continue to focus on a multi-pronged strategy.
Proulx also mentioned that instead of focusing on one approach, the company is taking a multi-pronged approach based on the commercial success. Going by this approach the company can either speed up or slow down as required.
At the time of BBM 2.1 release, BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB) launched the BBM shop, which distributes virtual goods for free as well as selling paid sticker (emoticon-like) packs. Some items are owned by BlackBerry and few of them are licensed content. Proulx said that in the future, the company will launch new goods.
BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB) is also trying to improve its brand identity with stickers. “For a brand or a business, a sticker is the most intimate form of engagement they can have with a user,” said Proulx.
