Blackberry Messaging: Why it Works So Well

You may or may not be aware that it was recently announced that BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) is going multi-platform. That means it will no longer be exclusively tied to BlackBerry smartphones and will be accessible from devices running rival operating systems.

Versions of BlackBerry Messenger have been proposed for Android and iOS, with hopes high that it will also come to Windows Phone a little further down the line.

So if you want to sell an old Blackberry bold 9780 handset and upgrade to a non-BB device you can now do so without losing out on access to BBM and all of your contacts who still use this service.

But what are the benefits of BBM and why does it work so well when compared with other instant messaging services?



The basics

The main purpose of BBM is to provide an instant messaging platform which lets you communicate with friends, family and colleagues in real time.

Messages are pushed instantly to the recipient and they are also threaded, which means that they appear in a consistent stream for each contact so you can message as sporadically as you like and still remember where you were up to in a conversation.

Each message can contain up to 2,000 characters and, because BBM uses a data connection, you will not need to worry about eating into your voice minutes or text message allowance.

Last year people in the UK sent more instant messages from mobiles than they did texts, which shows just how influential and popular this type of service is becoming.

BBM lets you know whether or not your messages have reached their destination and also tells you when your contact has read them, so you know whether you should wait for a reply or leave it until later.

Additional features

BBM does not deal solely in text-based messaging as it also integrated multimedia elements. You can share files, pictures, voice recordings and many other things over this service, which makes it far more versatile.

For example, if you have a project that you are working on with several people, sharing your contributions through BBM will be easy. Documents can be passed around quickly and securely and files of up to 6MB are compatible, which gives you a decent amount of leeway in what can be achieved.

BBM also has a video calling capability which can be easily accessed at any time so that you can chat face to face with your contacts.

As long as you have a compatible handset with a front-facing camera for video calls, BBM will let you engage in an entirely new way. There is even a function called Screen Share which means you can broadcast video that shows your phone's display, letting you showcase photos, websites and documents through a video call.

All of these impressive features and many more make BBM one of the best instant messaging clients around and it is good to see BlackBerry finally biting the bullet and making it available to a wider audience.