Anyone who had a BlackBerry back in the mid-00s definitely remembers using BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) to chat with their friends for free. Yes, those were the days before WhatsApp, WeChat, and LINE. Seems like eons ago now!
Now, 14 years after its inception, BBM has announced that it would be shutting down its consumer version on 31st May 2019. Emtek, the company that has been running BBM since 2016, announced the news in a blog post, saying that it will end support for the app by the end of May.
Source: Tribun News
An excerpt from Entek’s blog post reads,
“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.”
Source: The Mirror
However, those using the enterprise version of the app, BBMe, will continue its operations, according to The Verge. BBMe users are required to pay a subscription fee of USD$2.50 (approx. RM10) every six months.
Emtek ended their post announcing the sad news, saying,
“We are grateful for your support and wish to thank everyone, especially our users, partners, and employees, for being part of the BBM consumer service journey.”
“We hope you will cherish many fond memories of BBM consumer service that helped shape messenger platforms to become what they are today.”
Were you ever an avid user of BBM? What will you miss most about this app? Let us know in the comments section!
Also read: The Iconic Motorola Razr is Returning As A Foldable Smartphone & It Could Cost RM6,200!
