BlackBerry is in the middle of the worldwide launch of its new BlackBerry 10 OS and devices in hopes of gaining back some much needed marketshare. The company is also launching a new mobile payment service in the country where their marketshare is strong. Today BlackBerry launched BBM Money in Indonesia. Through a partnership with PermataBank and Monitise, BlackBerry is brining real-time mobile payments to BBM.
BBM Money allows users to create a mobile money account that is attached to their BBM account. From there they can send money to BBM contacts, transfer money to their bank, or buy credit for their device. BBM will grow and will eventually allow people to purchase goods and conduct business with other BBM users. Since BlackBerry is the leading smartphone in Indonesia, it's the perfect testing ground for BBM Money.
In an interview, Monitise Group Strategy Director Richard Johnson gave more details about BBM Money.
Do you think BBM Money makes sense for BlackBerry?
BBM Money allows users to create a mobile money account that is attached to their BBM account. From there they can send money to BBM contacts, transfer money to their bank, or buy credit for their device. BBM will grow and will eventually allow people to purchase goods and conduct business with other BBM users. Since BlackBerry is the leading smartphone in Indonesia, it's the perfect testing ground for BBM Money.
In an interview, Monitise Group Strategy Director Richard Johnson gave more details about BBM Money.
“BlackBerry Messenger is the dominant short message communication platform in Indonesia, the fourth most populous country in the world with 240 million people,” he said in an interview. “There is also the country’s 90 percent mobile penetration and the fact that BlackBerry is the number one selling mobile smartphone there – more than half of all smartphones sold in Indonesia are BlackBerry devices. At a global level, what is really exciting here with real-time chat evolving through real-time engagement, is that you are effectively taking a social network and turning it into a payment network.”
Do you think BBM Money makes sense for BlackBerry?