BlackBerry has forged hands with Indian handset makers such as Micromax, Spice and Zen for preinstalled BBM.
 
“BBM will soon come preinstalled on a variety of Android-based smartphones from leading OEMs in India and across Africa, Indonesia, Latin America and the Middle East from December”, it said in statement.
 
Beginning next month, Android smartphones from Be, Brightstar, Celkon, EVERCOSS, IMO, Micromax, Mito, Snexian, Spice, TECNO, TiPhone and Zen will include BBM preinstalled., it said.

In addition, BlackBerry confirmed that BBM will also continue to be available as a free download from Android app stores, including Google Play.
 
“It is clear that smartphone customers see BBM as a must have app for active conversations. The uptake we have seen for BBM since the launch on Android and iPhone is amazing,” said Andrew Bocking, Executive Vice President for BBM at BlackBerry. “We’re thrilled to be working with leading Android smartphone manufacturers from across the globe to help bring their customers the best out-of-the-box experience with BBM preinstalled.”
 
“BBM is extremely popular in Africa and we know our customers will appreciate the ability to quickly access BBM on their TECNO devices and start connecting with friends and family. BBM is now a central component of our Android-based smartphone platform offering,” said Jason Liu, Marketing Director of TECNO GROUP. “We are pleased to announce that we’re working with the BBM team at BlackBerry to install BBM on the Android smartphones we bring to market.”
 
“At Micromax, we have built a strong mobile ecosystem for our users, which builds a strong connection with the brand by democratizing technology for masses in India. Offering BBM, one of the most popular mobile messaging services, preloaded on our smartphones is another great example of how Micromax has built a bouquet of services for our customers to connect and communicate seamlessly,” said Rahul Sharma Co-Founder Micromax. “We have now preloaded BBM on the new Canvas Turbo and the initial response from our consumers has been overwhelmingly positive. BBM will now be preloaded in the entire future range of Canvas phones.”
 
BBM gives customers privacy, control and immediacy as they chat with their contacts, either one-to-one, in multiple chats or as part of a BBM Group. BBM’s Delivered and Read statuses, as well as message-in-progress notices, keep people engaged and active in their conversations.
 
BBM lets users share files such as photos and voice notes, as well as update their profile and status with ease. Up to 30 people can connect as a BBM Group to chat and share photos, calendars and other files or documents.
 
The BBM experience will continue to evolve for Android and iPhone users in the coming months, with updates that will include support for BBM Channels, a new service that will connect BBM users to communities of shared interests in a very engaging and intimate manner, as well as support for BBM Voice calling and BBM Video calling.