BlackBerry is having a hard time staying up with the current trends in Android and iOS. Some large technology biggies like Facebook and WhatsApp have decided to end their support to the dying operating system and we could hear similar news in the coming months.
BlackBerry has now launched BBM Money, a payment solution, in partnership with Digitsecure, a payments platforms to cater to the BBM users in India. HotRemit is a product of Digitsecure, which does the work of a mobile wallet, which has been used to create the BBM Money service.
BBM Money application can be downloaded from BlackBerry world, and allows users to send money to one another through BBM app. The transfers are instant and secure, however restricted to BlackBerry Messenger only.
Facebook is the only other service in India that allows transfer of money through a messenger application. This makes BBM Money very exclusive, although limited to just one service, which itself is not a dominant one, unlike Facebook.
Is this a strategy to retain its existing users?
One thing is sure, that customers will not buy a BlackBerry phone just to have the option of BBM Money on their smartphone. This service can only be successful at a larger scale if cross-platform money transfer was allowed.
Existing BBM users will however benefit from this service, since it is an easy to use app to pay for goods to your friend or family. There are similar services available which do not use a BB Pin to transfer money, but having an option of directly sending it to your BBM friends makes it more attractive.
The Mobile Payments industry is all set to be revolutionized by NPCI’s UPI and BBM Money comes at a time when things have almost settled and reached a peak. This does put BlackBerry is a tough spot, but hopefully it will be a hit amongst the BBM users.
The launch might not revive the company in India but will not worsen the existing scenario. If you’re a BlackBerry user in India, try the BBM Money service and let us know of your experience in the comments below.
