Among other announcements today at its developer conference, BlackBerry (BBRY +1.67%) said it will expand its popular BBM messaging service to other mobile platforms this summer.
The company will release BBM for Apple (AAPL 0.04%) iOS and Google (GOOG 0.04%) Android within the next couple of months, which will broaden its reach beyond just the BlackBerry operating system. The cross-platform version will include multiperson chats, voice note sharing, and BlackBerry Groups that can share information with up to 30 people. BlackBerry said its BBM service currently has more than 60 million monthly active users, of which 51 million are active on a daily basis. Over 10 billion BBM messages are sent daily.
The company also announced BBM Channels, which will be a social engagement platform that businesses and celebrities can use to connect with customers and fans.
