BBM could come preloaded on some Windows Phone and Nokia X models

Despite comments made earlier this year by David Proulx, BlackBerry’s Senior Director of BBM Business Development, that the Windows Phone platform was not yet ready for the messaging app, Nokia's Stephen Elop said at MWC on Monday that BBM would soon be coming to select Lumia models. In the wake of Facebook's $19 billion acquisition of WhatsApp, many are taking a whole new look at it. Adding new subscribers all of a sudden has more urgency to BBM than it did back in January when Proulx made his comments.

After Elop made his announcement in Barcelona, BlackBerry expanded on them to add that BBM would be coming to Windows Phone this summer. BlackBerry's Proulx now says that besides having BBM listed in the Windows Phone Store, it will come preloaded on some Windows Phone models. Proulx also stated that the Windows Phone version of BBM would keep the look and feel of the messaging app, while also offering the look of a native Windows Phone app.

BBM is also expected to come out of the box on some of the newly announced Nokia X line. That range was introduced earlier today by the Finnish manufacturer, and is powered by a forked version of Android. A version of the Nokia XL was spotted at MWC with the messaging app already pre-installed.

BBM allows users to send messages, make free calls to members, enter discussion groups, and more. Eventually, BlackBerry hopes to monetize the service by allowing corporations to pay to open branded discussion groups using BBM Channels. But right now, messaging apps are being valued by the number of users they have. With this in mind, allowing the growing number of Windows Phone owners to have the option to join BBM should add some more value to the messaging app.

source: WPCentral