BBM app now ready for iPhone and Android, company says

Consumers take a look at BlackBerry smartphones in this undated file photo. (AFP PHOTO/Indranil Mukherjee)

WATERLOO, Ont. -- BlackBerry says its popular instant messaging service is now ready for Apple's iPhone and devices using the Android operating system, following a technical glitch that delayed the launch by about a month.

Andrew Bocking, head of BBM operations, said in a BlackBerry blog post on Monday that BlackBerry Messenger would be available for free starting Monday on Apple, Google and select Samsung app stores.

"The demand for BBM on Android and BBM on iPhone continues to be amazing," Booking said.

In September, an unreleased version of the BBM software for Android was posted online, causing technical conflicts with the official version the company had prepared for release, BlackBerry said at that time.

BlackBerry (TSX:BB) decided to yank the BBM app while its programmers worked to solve the problem.

The BBM instant messaging service has been a popular feature for Blackberry users because it allows real-time text messages on a secure server, but doesn't require a customer to purchase an SMS text package from their wireless carrier.

BlackBerry has said it wants to turn BBM into a revenue generator for the company through advertising partnerships.

Shares of the company closed down 12 cents at $8.52 on the Toronto Stock Exchange on Monday.