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This is going to make it easy for the blackberry users to switch to android/ iOS. The just have to buy their non blackberry device of choice, get used to it with out loosing their friends and fellow BBM users. As simple as that. Keyboard and BBM was a major limiting factor to a hardcore BB fan. Now I think they can switch with a bit more of ease :)

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I don't think BBM has the same influence of BB users that once did thanks to WhatsApp and other cross-platform messengers. I think at this point it's to BB's advantage to make it easier for their users to communicate with non-BB phones via BBM.

And, I think this is why they've done it. If it had been year or two ago it would have been in the same space as WhatsApp et. al. Now, it simply provides a way for BB users to talk with their non-BB counterparts through a preferred app and if it gets a few users back into BB world, then great.

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