[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) has come a long way since its inception as a pin-to-pin messaging service for BlackBerry smartphones. Today it’s evolved to become a real time engagement tool offering text, voice, and video chat as well as screen sharing capabilities. It connects friends, family, and colleagues across international borders as a true communication and collaboration tool. With millions of active fans of BBM worldwide, continued growing integration from the developer community, and the new opportunities with BlackBerry 10, we’re just getting started.

What is BBM Channels?

Today we’d like to introduce BBM Channels; a new way to connect you to your social network and communities of interest. We see BlackBerry Messenger as a platform with endless opportunities for growth and for connecting individuals and groups to what they’re passionate about. BBM Channels allows you to connect to the communities, personas, and brands that you love – in real time.

Choose which channels you’d like to follow, and as a subscriber you can receive, comment, and share timely updates that allow you to stay on top of your interests and communities. Essentially, BBM Channels gives you the immediacy of an instant communications experience but with access to a much wider community.

You also have the option to create your own channel – a great opportunity for large groups, brands, businesses, non-profit organizations, sports teams, and you to reach fans and followers. Simply setup a channel profile, add in a description and welcome message, upload an image, list contact information, and other optional information. Owners of a BBM Channel are able to manage and share content from both a BlackBerry smartphone and from a web-based administration console. You can customize your channel in a variety of ways, not the least of which is choosing to allow community forums threaded into the newsfeed or enabling one-on-one chat between owners and subscribers.

Connecting on BBM Channels

Once you register for the beta and download BBM 8, you’ll notice a new tab in the interface for BBM Channels. You can join a channel by browsing the carousel or using a keyword search, or through a channel’s PIN number, or QR code. Once subscribed, you’ll be able to see posts, content, and offers from your subscribed channels. You can also comment on posts, hit the Like button, and share interesting updates with friends. Here’s an overview of the new features:

• Create a channel – Create, edit and publish in an instant and there are no limits to the number of followers you can have. Manage your Channel from either a BlackBerry device or from a web management console.
• Discover channels – Check out the BBM Channels carousel to discover new channels. BBM contacts can share Channel invites within a BBM chat, and they also can be added via Channel PIN or QR code.
• View – View profiles for each BBM Channel you choose to follow.
• Subscribe – Subscribe and receive timely and relevant updates, giving you instant access to news, deals and events and choose to receive notifications when new posts are available.
• Participate – Participate and engage in conversations with your favorite communities by “Commenting” and “Liking” posts from channels you subscribe to. Even chat one-on-one directly with certain Channels*.
• Monitor engagement – Easily use built-in measuring tools to assess and monitor follower engagement and interaction

Why BBM Channels?

BBM has over 60 million monthly active subscribers, and on any given day 51 million of those individuals are each using it an average of one and a half hours. This is an incredible level of engagement and represents a significant opportunity for you to get the word out there about your business, community, or cause. We focus on the mobile needs of people, while other social networks are desktop-first. Our BBM customers are sending and receiving billions of messages each day – and over 50% of those messages are read within 25 seconds!

We’re continuing to innovate with BBM and explore new ways that it can be leveraged as a real time network of closely monitored conversation and communication.

What’s new with BBM version 8 for BlackBerry OS 5 through 7 and BlackBerry 10 smartphones?

• Enhanced Navigation – BBM 8 offers tabbed viewing for quick and easy access to contacts, chats, groups, recent updates and BBM Channels.
• Enhanced Profile – BBM 8 allows you the option to share your enhanced profile information with BBM Contacts – such as your birthday, gender and location.
• BBM Channels – Connecting you to your communities of interest.

Join the open beta!

BBM 8 with BBM Channels is currently in open beta for BlackBerry OS 5 through 7 and BlackBerry 10 smartphones; register now by heading over to www.blackberry.com/beta.

How will you use BBM Channels? Share in the comments below and discuss on LinkedIn.

Earlier this month we launched the BlackBerry Technical Preview Beta Program to provide over 120 of our top enterprise and government participants with an early look at BlackBerry 10 and BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 in order to test and deploy these leading tools for enabling mobility. We were on scene to catch the action – check out the video below for the full scoop!

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

This is a very exciting moment for us, and provides major momentum leading up to the launch event on January 30th. For top customers to have the devices and server software in their hands in order to test the features and functionality is a key milestone and demonstrates both the state of development for the platform and our dedication to meeting the needs of our customers.

For those not participating in the BlackBerry Technical Preview Beta Program, we’ve recently launched the BlackBerry 10 Ready program, which provides your business with all of the tools you need to get ready for the launch of BlackBerry 10. These include regular webcasts, a Q&A session, migration services from BlackBerry Enterprise Server 5 or BlackBerry Mobile Fusion, and a CAL trade-in offer. Check out the details at www.blackberry.com/blackberry10ready.

How is your business preparing for the launch of BlackBerry 10? Share in the comments below.

Editor’s Note: BlackBerry® Mobile Conferencing 3.0 is now out of beta and available from BlackBerry® App World™. Get it here!

We’re excited to announce that the third version of BlackBerry® Mobile Conferencing is now available in the BlackBerry Beta Zone. For those unaware, BlackBerry Mobile Conferencing is an app that makes conference calls using BlackBerry smartphones a breeze. Key features include automatic recognition of conference call details within calendar invitations, a “Join Now” button for calls, conversion from an email to a meeting invitation, one-click reconnection to a lost call, and more. All you need to run BlackBerry Mobile Conferencing 3.0 is a BlackBerry smartphone running BlackBerry® Device Software 5.0 or higher. For all of the details and to watch a video demonstration, check out the BlackBerry Mobile Conferencing web site.

What’s new in this version?

• Conference Call Recognition for the UK

We’re excited to roll out support for the United Kingdom, where BlackBerry Mobile Conferencing is now available and built to recognize UK calling codes and conference information.

• App Icon on your Home Screen

You’ve asked for it, and now we’ve included it. With BlackBerry Mobile Conferencing 3.0, you’ll see an icon on your home screen that provides easy access to help, demos, and app sharing.

• Feature Demos

New to BlackBerry Mobile Conferencing? Now you’ll be able to access video demonstrations and explore key features right from within the app. This will allow you to get familiar with the app and help to increase your mobile conferencing efficiency.

• App Sharing

Are your colleagues irritable about having to enter conference codes and pin numbers? Use the App Sharing feature to send a BlackBerry® App World™ download link and get all of your friends on board the BlackBerry Mobile Conferencing 3.0 train.

We’re committed to improving the everyday life of BlackBerry smartphone users worldwide, and BlackBerry Mobile Conferencing 3.0 has taken a great step forward with the convenience of connecting individuals at the touch of a button.

Join the Beta

BlackBerry Mobile Conferencing 3.0 is currently available in the BlackBerry Beta Zone. Head over, sign up (or login), and grab the app today. Be sure to explore BlackBerry Beta Zone and provide feedback on how you’re using the app! The full launch is expected in early February 2012 on BlackBerry App World.

What new feature are you most looking forward to? Has BlackBerry Mobile Conferencing saved you time? Share in the comments below.

Good news for business: The Citrix® Receiver for the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet (Citrix Receiver) is now available for beta testing. Download it today from the Test Center on the BlackBerry App World™ storefront.

The Citrix Receiver is enterprise virtualization software that allows users to access virtual desktops (such as Citrix® XenDesktop) on servers running Microsoft® Windows, plus enterprise applications hosted within your organization to allow standalone app virtualization. With the Citrix Receiver, users can open: (1) any Windows software that’s installed on the server you’re accessing; (2) Software as a Service (SaaS), or (3) a web app.( I’m personally looking forward to using the Microsoft® Office® suite and Microsoft® Outlook® via the Citrix Receiver, as well as the Adobe® Creative Suite® of products.) Check out more important features below:

1. Multitasking

The Citrix Receiver for the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet provides the functionality to multitask between virtualized applications and desktops, as well as between multiple desktops themselves – all from within the app. From a user perspective, this is similar to the multi-tab browsing experience on the BlackBerry PlayBook browser. Users will be able to work like they do on a desktop or laptop with multiple applications running simultaneously, but do so remotely from the BlackBerry tablet.

2. Single “Sign On” Access

When accessing Windows, web and SaaS apps, users won’t need to login multiple times to gain access. Instead, there’s a single “sign on” access point during the launch of the app that provides full access to virtual apps and desktops.

3. IT-Controlled Built In Enterprise App Hosting

When implemented, the IT department can host an app server (such as Citrix® XenApp) and allow end users to select apps to use via the Citrix Receiver from this server; much like they would select apps from the BlackBerry App World. This self-service access to enterprise apps gives users even more flexibility when working with the Citrix Receiver.

4. Peripheral Integration in High Definition

Does your staff often use a “hoteling” station or home office? If so, it’s simple to pair a PlayBook with a Bluetooth® keyboard and mouse and connect an HD monitor via HDMI cable, and they’ll have full access to your remote desktop and apps. When it’s time to leave, the peripherals stay behind while the PlayBook slips into a coat pocket or purse. This gives your mobile workforce improved portability, boot-up time, and battery life compared with a laptop-based solution – with minimal compromise on functionality.

Availability

The beta release of the Citrix Receiver is available for download now on the BlackBerry App World Test Center. For more information, check out the Citrix Blog post on the new Receiver.

We’d love to hear how your business will use the Citrix Receiver for BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. Drop us a comment below.