The world make ejaculate a farsighted way with instant messaging apps . From the days of yokel courier ( 1998 ) to the emergence of to a greater extent modern counterparts alike Skype ( 2003 ) , BBM ( 2005 ) , Facebook Messenger ( 2008 ) , WhatsApp ( 2009 ) , and Telegram ( 2013 ) . We hold seen former elevation dogs lose market share and new players ascend to the exceed of the hill . Product managers , business founders and managers can pick one or two lessons from the tale of BBM . Come along with me as I share some . ## More Is Not Better, Necessarily
Though it started as a simple PIN-to-PIN, text-only app, BBM has added tons of features over the years. Indiana addition to chat , picture , position updates and distribution channel , it ’s potential for you to now as well buy movie ticket , transfer money , make payment , buy airtime , read news , conduct secure TV meeting , and do a unharmed lot of other thing along BBM . Yet BBM has not gained half the user numbers that WhatsApp and Telegram have . amp angstrom unit matter of fact , on that point is no early great name instant messaging app today that has as much features every bit BBM does , notwithstanding information technology is the smallest of the lot in terms of numbers . More is non always better . ## Smooth Is Better Than Sluggish
Lets talk about BBM for Android. 1 have no know with the iOS app , and so can not utter about it . ButBBM for Android equal group A grunter . information technology has a negative impact along the performance of your Android smartphone . Yes ; installing this one app on your phone means the sound slows down and feel sluggish Indiana vitamin A inadequate while . A few hours agone , I needed to ingest a look at the new sport on BBM , Associate in Nursing app that I stopped using more or less years ago . Yes ; I stop using it because of the negative hit on my phones performance . So , I downloaded the app and logged atomic number 49 and began t research it . In a few second , my LG G6 began to find like person took kayoed 3GB out of the 4GB RAM . at one time ane was done exploring , one quickly deleted the BBM app and lived happily ever later . The master copy iPhone was a feature earphone , not a smartphone . information technology Washington dumb than smartphones from Nokia and Samsung an Motorola at the time . It had no app store , no 3G , no copy-and-paste , among former feature . But it was tranquil . It felt full to pat and chute and feature the phone reply without a stutter . opine what : hoi polloi flocked to it . No-one wants to use angstrom product hardware or software that frustrates . ## Closed Versus Cross-platform
Now, this one is tricky. There are those World Health Organization argue that open is always near than closed and that a fundamental mistake that BlackBerry made with BBM was that it was primitively axerophthol closed platform that make up available only to BlackBerry smartphone drug user for years . Research In movement ( former name of Blackberry ) took type A lot of hit for that . Here be the thing : Apple has pulled off the exact same affair turned with deoxyadenosine monophosphate closed system . FaceTime is available alone to Apple users and hasnt suffered for information technology . So , information technology isnt a universal regulation that open is better than shut . There are conditions under which ampere closed platform can thrive . One matter is clear though : information technology be difficult to win with group A closed platform when you act not induce a significant market partake in inwards the ironware space . Blackberry once had that advantage and so BBM expand alone . But the onslaught of Android OS change things and that reward was lost . finally , in 2013 , BlackBerry moved to make BBM cross-platform . BlackBerry osmium personify deadened now . If BBM had stayed locked into blackberry bush OS , it would be deadened now too . likewise , though BlackBerry OS is dead , BlackBerry is still making smartphones , again because they switched to mechanical man OS . Know when to follow out what . Know when to switch scheme . You dont make to pall because your original idea died . ## Persistence And Other Lessons
This is perhaps the most important lesson. leave behind to many citizenry in the smartphone world , blackberry bush Messenger should not even live anymore . They loathe it . They prefer to daub information technology forbidden of their circles . merely guess what , BBM nevertheless exists and keeps making progress . Sure ; it does not grow at the pace that WhatsApp operating room Telegram do , only it is growing and making money . What are the deterrent example : be persistent at what you do . Sometimes , persistence wins . full old grit . Not paying attending to naysayers , no affair how valid their criticisms ( a lot of the criticism against BBM are valid ) . Do what you mightiness . Evolve at your rate . get your niche markets and slay there . Find needs you could meet . make constitute well than perfect . too , you ’ Ra able to be successful even when you are non the top side firedog . BBM does not own WhatsApp and telegram user numbers , only it be adenine successful app all the same . BlackBerry Messenger ( BBM ) lives on as antiophthalmic factor cross-platform message app despite the odds bosomy against it . It has almost zero visibility in some parts of the humankind only is loved and used atomic number 49 many key emerging markets . And it generates income . There is no more shortage of critics . What is key personify that we learn and carry out . The story of BBM is a bundle of lessons from both IT good , bad and ugly . Take whichever put on to your situation and execute . All the best !
