BlackBerry has announced a new version of BBM will be available for Android, iPhone and BlackBerry customers on 13 February. Android and iPhone customers will now be able to make free voice calls to BBM contacts over a Wi-Fi or data connection with BBM Voice, as well as access BMM Channels. In addition, BBM customers on Android, iPhone and BlackBerry smartphones are offered one-click sharing of photos, documents and voice notes as well as the ability to share their live location for a specified amount of time with other BBM contacts by using location sharing, powered by Glympse. The new version of BBM will also include 100 new emoticons and Dropbox support.
BBM Channels allow customers to chat with other BBM users about topics that interest them and join channels about a range of topics, including products, hobbies, sports and entertainment. Channels can be created by brands, businesses and BBM customers. BBM Channels maintain the same BMM core values of immediacy, privacy and control and allows customers to engage with brands or other customers without having to add them to their contact list. BBM Channels live inside BBM, providing customers immediate notification if a channel they follow has a new post or someone responds to one of their comments.
For brands and businesses, BBM Channels provides a new way to interact and connect with targeted mobile audiences. Channel owners can choose to: allow subscribers to comment on posts freely or to approve them first, let subscribers chat with them directly anytime, or set chat hours, interact with subscribers without giving out personal details, or add them as a personal BBM contact. Each channel features its own performance dashboard, enabling channel owners see stats on how subscribers are engaging with their channel, how many people have viewed each post and how the subscriber base is growing.
