BlackBerry has many proprietary apps, but in a new move, the most recent ones are going to be made available on the BlackBerry’s biggest competitor’s operating systems. They confirmed this in the first week of March 2015 and are going to unveil the apps as part of their BlackBerry Experience Suite at the 2015 MWC (Mobile World Congress).
The BlackBerry 10 operating system’s unbundled software will be made available to Apple's iOS, Microsoft Windows Phone OS and the Google Android OS. The BlackBerry 10 hub should be made available too, which is a place for SMS messages, emails, instant messages, Facebook updates, Tweets, and BlackBerry messenger messages.
Does this mean people are giving up on BlackBerry 10?
The BlackBerry 10 was supposed to be the thing that brought BlackBerry back from the brink. There were hopes that they would return to their former glory, but that was not to be. Allowing proprietary apps to be used on the BlackBerry’s biggest three competitors does look as if the companies that support BlackBerry are giving up on it. The only counter-argument is that the software they are planning to showcase at the MWC is aimed at businesses (enterprises).
Will the apps be made available to all consumers?
Jeff Gadway, the Director of Product Marketing at BlackBerry's Enterprise intimated they may make the apps available for all consumers. He said they were going to take the very best BlackBerry apps and make them available across all mobile platforms. He even said they may be available on tablets and desktop devices as well as Smartphones.
What are they bringing out?
The BlackBerry communication hub will definitely be part of one of the three sets they are bringing out. Other than that they have not said. All we know is that three sets of apps (mixed apps) will be created so they may be used on Windows, Android and iOS devices, but that use will be restricted to enterprise organisations. Whether those enterprises will be able to pass app use down to their consumers is unclear. Jeff said, “They will be available for enterprise customers as well as end-users, too.” Which is suspiciously vague since the apps were said to be explicitly aimed at businesses.
Have any dates been set?
Yet more vagary revolves around when the apps and software bundles will be made available. Dates have not been set, and it is very unclear if these apps will ever be made available to private consumers. There is also no indication as to whether app producing companies are trying to pull away from the BlackBerry–though one may suspect as much.