WATERLOO,ON and ORLANDO, FLA. – BlackBerry announced the launches of several new products at its annual BlackBerry live technology conference today, including its new Q5 phone and an expansion of its BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) service to iOS and Android users this summer.
Support for BBM is also planned for iOS6, and Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) or higher, subject to approval by the Apple App Store and Google Play.
BlackBerry is targeting younger mobile users with its new Q5 smartphone, calling it a “fun and youthful” version of its newly released BB10 phone launched earlier this year. The Q5, which features a re-designed QWERTY keyboard, will be available in selected markets in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Latin America in July.
For current BB10 users, BlackBerry announced a free update of its Enterprise Instant Messaging 3.0 app, which lets users send secure instant messages with Microsoft Lync, Microsoft Office Communications and IBM Lotus Sametime.
The client app supports presence, real-time one-to-one and multi-party instant messaging, the ability for a user to update their profile and change their status, as well as to instantly switch from a text chat to a voice call.
Today, BlackBerry also announced BBM Channels, a new social engagement platform within BBM that will allow customers to connect with the businesses, brands, celebrities and groups they are passionate about. BlackBerry plans to add support for BBM Channels as well as voice and video chatting for iOS and Android later this year, subject to approval by the Apple App Store and Google Play.
If approved by Apple and Google, the BBM app will be available as a free download in the Apple(R) App Store(SM) and Google Play store.
In related news, Rogers today announced the release of BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 version 10.1 for enterprise customers. The update to BlackBerry's multi-platform Enterprise Mobility Management solution provides device and app management for BYOD and corporate-owned BlackBerry, iOS and Android devices.
