BlackBerry considers splitting BBM Chat service into subsidiaries

Phoenix Technology News Beijing Time August 28, according to the Wall Street Journal, people familiar with the matter said the BlackBerry was considering splitting its chat Service BBM into a subsidiary. The operation of the subsidiary will be more independent. People familiar with the matter said the company was named BBM Inc. The BlackBerry move suggests the company is trying to position BBM as a valuable asset before a potential sale. While the strategic options the BlackBerry is exploring may lead to the sale of the company, the smartphone manufacturer is still trying to revive its instant messaging service. People familiar with the matter said the BlackBerry has been shifting executives to the BBM team and has been developing a range of services other than chat, including some of the tools that have been offered to BlackBerry users, such as video chats. Thorsten Heins, the BlackBerry's CEO, said in May this year that BBM apps would be Tosten Heins for the first time this summer on smartphones outside the BlackBerry, which was designed to compete with chat services such as WhatsApp, Wetalk, which have overtaken BBM. BlackBerry says BBM now has about 60 million users. WhatsApp more than 300 million active users. BlackBerry will also launch a previously announced service BBM channels. It's a Twitter-like tool that allows brand makers and celebrities to interact more closely with customers and fans. The BlackBerry is also considering pushing BBM to the desktop, people familiar with the matter said. "We have announced plans to provide this reliable mobile chat service to iphone and Android users this summer," said a BlackBerry spokeswoman. "We have not announced more news or announced plans to introduce BBM to the desktop." "(Compiling/Xiao Yu)