RIM Getting is Going To Bring BlackBerry Messenger To iPhone And Android

If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. That’s evidently what Research In Motion is thinking after it was revealed that their popular BlackBerry Messenger app would be making its way to both Android and iOS devices.

It’s news that will shock BlackBerry owners the world over, but a new report today claims that the Canadian smartphone giant Research In Motion is working on plans to bring its popular BlackBerry Messenger service to users of both Android and iOS devices.

According to a report by BGR, RIM is looking at the success garnered by copycat services such as WhatsApp and clearly feels that it should have a piece of the cross-platform instant messaging pie.

According to our sources, RIM has not yet finalized details surrounding timing or pricing, but we have heard that the company might make the software free to all users. We’re also told strategy is still being developed, however, and RIM may end up charging users a one-time fee or even a recurring fee for access to its BBM service on third-party platforms.

BlackBerry Messenger already has a long list of devoted fans that absolutely swear by its functionality, and this move will likely increase the amount of faithful users in camp BlackBerry.

While there are still no details surrounding the release date or the pricing structure, its looking like RIM is aiming for a piece of the Apple pie…

The first question that might pop into your head is why? Why port a feature to a competitor’s device when it’s one of the primary reasons that people stick with BlackBerry hardware?

It’s as simple as economics and branding. There are quite a few copycat apps out in the wild that have “borrowed” some of BBM’s key features; they’ve become very popular as a result. RIM is seeing that as money that they’re leaving on the table

Another reason is mindshare. When’s the last time an iOS user even thought about BBM? The day they sold their BlackBerry Storm for an iPhone? Never?

RIM is seeing this as an opportunity to get the BlackBerry vernacular back in the minds and hearts of iOS users, even if they’re not using their hardware.

Again, there are still no solid details on pricing or a release date for RIM’s iOS debut, but I imagine that it’ll be here sooner than later.