New Delhi: “Can you BBM for me?”, “Hey, what’s your BBM pin?” These were some of the more common phrases heard during the mid-2000s to early 2010s as many young adults began using emoji-filled instant messaging apps on their mobile phones.
BBM, which stands for BlackBerry Messenger, became the dominant medium of communication for a short time before WhatsApp took over our phones.
BBM operates exclusively as an instant messaging platform for BlackBerry devices, which operate on the BlackBerry OS (operating system). Later, BBM was also available on Apple and Google Play Store.
A former senior BlackBerry India executive, who did not wish to be named, told ThePrint: “BBM was central to BlackBerry’s popularity in the consumer market, especially among the youth and businesses.”
“The ability to instantly message anyone from your mobile with a better interface than text messaging made it a unique brand,” the executive said.
In 2014, BBM 150 million active user. However, when it stopped Operating in 2019, it had very few active users.
Nevertheless, BBM’s dominance at the time can be seen as a transitional period in the world of communications, when instant messaging shifted from desktops or laptops to QWERTY keypads. QWERTY keypadstandard typewriters and computer keyboards in countries that use the Latin-based alphabet”.
Before the advent of WhatsApp, BBM was the bridge between the worlds of MSN Messenger, Orkut and Facebook.
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‘BBMing’ in real-time
“The thrill of coming back from college and a friend in real time BBM made the app special,” reminisces Mayank Sanwalka, a food consultant based in Dubai. “The ability to chat with friends on a group, share emoticons, as emoji was called back then, also made BBM such a unique platform in the mid-2000s,” he said.
Unlike WhatsApp, BBM did not work on an individual’s mobile number. Every handset and anyone who downloaded the app had a unique BBM PIN. This PIN was required to add someone on the app and then chat.
“When a new person joins BBM, his friends always broadcast his PIN to all the contacts so that everyone can connect with the person,” Sanwalka said.
BBM created a platform that offered an exciting, interactive and unique way of communication. This was the center of its popularity among the youth.
BBM in business
However, the popularity of BBM was not limited to college goers. It was also central to professional life.
The Financial Times was described BBM and Blackberry handsets are “the ultimate business gadget no one can have without a self-respecting CEO”.
“During a typical day in a corporate office in the mid-2000s, you would see executives dancing about the office with their thumbs sticking blackberries. Either closing a quick email or sending out releases on BBM groups,” London Rupinder Mangat, a based entrepreneur told ThePrint
The prevalence of BBM and BlackBerry handsets in corporate and business life was such that terms E.g. “crackberry” and “blackberry thumb” were used to describe users. The first was a reference to executives who were constantly using the device for work, and the latter was a knock-on effect of excessive use of the handset, resulting in a sore thumb.
Exclusivity – Attraction or Cause of Downfall?
A central feature of BBM until 2013 was its exclusivity for BlackBerry users. Avery Hartman, Senior Reporter insider, Told“BBM has just added you to that special club of BlackBerry users.”
While exclusivity added to BBM’s attractiveness and played a central role in driving sales of BlackBerry handsets in the early years after launch, it set a clear boundary for the brand. The introduction of other instant messaging apps such as WhatsApp, which were available for free on the Apple and Google Play stores, derailed the growth of BBM.
“BBM gradually faded away as BlackBerry was behind the curve in allowing BBM to be made available on other app stores and operating systems. BlackBerry also failed to move BlackBerry’s operating system to the open platform. left the field for us,” explained the former senior executive at BlackBerry India.
Even though BlackBerry ceased operations for BBM in 2019, the app ushered in a transformational period for instant messaging and communication. Beyond catering to business executives and college-going students, the app also made a significant mark on the popular urban culture of the mid-2000s to 2010s.
Emoticons (now called emoji), a ‘ping’ sound reminding the user to respond, trackballs, and BBM pins were all unique to the app and found representation in TV shows and movies.
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