WATERLOO, ONTARIO–(Marketwired – July 31, 2014) – BlackBerry Limited (NASDAQ:BBRY)(TSX:BB), a global leader in mobile communications, today announced a collaboration with Microsoft to bring BBM to Windows Phone 8 and higher.

„We are intent on bringing the most popular application experiences to Windows Phone, and with BBM, we are pleased to bring many of its top features to the Windows Phone platform,“ said Bryan Biniak, Vice President and General Manager, Developer Experience, Microsoft. „BBM on Windows Phone brings our customers the secure, easy-to-use messaging experience they demand, and we expect that new features will roll out in the months to come.“

„As the popularity of BBM continues to grow, we are thrilled to have the opportunity to expand its availability to the Windows Phone community,“ said John Sims, President Global Enterprise Services at BlackBerry. „The BBM app for Windows Phone shows our commitment to supporting cross-platform capabilities, and we are excited to be working with Microsoft to deliver a new level of collaboration to the Windows Phone platform.“

The BBM app for Windows Phone builds on the collaboration, privacy and security features that are at the core of the BBM experience loved by more than 85 million monthly active users around the world. Built specifically for the Windows Phone experience, BBM users will have a familiar, native user experience that embraces the clean, modern design of the Windows Phone UI.

Starting today, Windows Phone 8 users can download BBM and gain access to renowned features, including:

• BBM Chats: The Chats page is your single destination for all your chats, including groups, multi-person and one-to-one. In a chat, you have lots of ways to share. You can attach a picture from your camera, add a voice note, send a contact, share a photo from your gallery or send your location. Chats also include BBM signature „D“ and „R“ notifications that allow users to know when messages are delivered and read.

• BBM Groups: With BBM Groups, up to 50 people can be added to the conversation. Chat, share photos and schedules with even more friends.

• Find Friends: Discover people you know that are also using BBM and invite them to your BBM contact list, from within the app. With the ability to easily share your PIN with your friends and family, connecting is easier than ever.

• BBM Feeds: Feeds lets you see what’s happening with your BBM contacts. Here you will see when contacts update their status or profile photo. If you want to chat about one of their updates, just touch on their name and you’ll be taken to a chat. Here you can also quickly update your own status to share what you’re up to or what’s on your mind.

• ‚Pin‘ to Start: Pin BBM Groups and 1:1 chats to the Start screen for easy access to your most important chats

Additional features for BBM on Windows Phone will continue to be added in future releases.

Check out more information and a „How to video“ on Inside BlackBerry.

Mobile World Congress 2014, Barcelona – BlackBerry Limited (NASDAQ: BBRY; TSX: BB), a global leader in mobile communications, today announced that BBM will be made available to Windows Phone and Nokia X customers in the coming months.

BBM is a premier mobile messaging platform that offers best-in-class collaboration tools such as BBM Groups, BBM Voice and BBM Channels. BBM users rely on the privacy, immediacy and control that are at the core of BBM.

“BBM continues to grow in popularity as millions of people use our mobile platform for chatting and connecting with friends or colleagues, and we are very excited that we will soon welcome Windows Phone and Nokia X users to the BBM community,” said John Sims, President, Global Enterprise Solutions at BlackBerry.

„Today marks an exciting moment for Nokia,“ said Bryan Biniak, Vice President and GM of Developer Relations, Nokia Corporation.  „By bringing BBM to the Windows Phone and Nokia X communities, our customers will be able to experience this popular global messaging app.“

Windows Phone and Nokia X customers will soon have access to a comprehensive suite of messaging and collaboration features, including:

• BBM Chats: Have instant BBM Chats, including a Multi-Chat option, and receive real-time confirmations when messages are delivered and read (Ds & Rs)
• Personalization: Create a profile that can be easily personalized with profile pictures/avatars and status updates that contacts can see in the Updates area of BBM
• BBM Groups: Now, with BBM Groups, up to 50 people can be added to the conversation. Chat, share photos and schedules with even more friends
• BBM Voice: Free voice calls between BBM contacts on Windows Phone, Nokia X, iPhone, Android and BlackBerry anywhere in the world using data or WiFi connection (*Data Plan or WiFi required for BBM Voice)
• BBM Channels: Join conversations on BBM Channels between people, brands and communities. Create a BBM channel to share thoughts, ideas and passions. Or, subscribe to a channel to join conversations with others who have shared interests.
• One-click sharing:  BBM users on Windows Phone, Nokia X, Android, iPhone and BlackBerry devices have access to fast one-click sharing of photos, documents, voice notes and more
• New Emoticons: We now have over 100 new emoticons to help people say what they mean and make their point in a fun and visual way.

 

Pricing and Availability

BBM will be available as a free download from the Windows Phone Store this summer. BBM for Nokia X will be available from the Nokia Store when the Nokia X platform launches.

Useful Links

Inside BlackBerry Blog Post (http://blogs.blackberry.com/2014/02/bbm-windows-phone/‎)

BBM information (www.bbm.com)

BBM PIN Card Generator (http://mypin.bbm.com/)

About BBM

Introduced in 2005, BBM set the standard for mobile messaging and continues to drive innovation in messaging and private social networking. Today, BBM is one of the largest private social mobile networks, driving real, active conversations. Customers love BBM for its privacy, controls and immediacy with Delivered and Read statuses and message-in-progress notices.

About BlackBerry

A global leader in mobile communications, BlackBerry® revolutionized the mobile industry when it was introduced in 1999. Today, BlackBerry aims to inspire the success of our millions of customers around the world by continuously pushing the boundaries of mobile experiences. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, BlackBerry operates offices in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. The Company trades under the ticker symbols „BB“ on the Toronto Stock Exchange and „BBRY“ on the NASDAQ. For more information, visitwww.blackberry.com.