BlackBerry plans to launch a secure payment platform at some point after a trial run in Indonesia, and will roll out its BBM Protected service this summer to let companies pay for added encryption security. As well, BlackBerry said it will allow a limited number of pre-approved commercial placements on the BBM app’s featured channels tab, along with sponsored posts and invitations to advertisers’ BBM Channels, with targeted users given the option to decline. The company said sponsored posts will not be inserted into BBM chats, but will be clearly marked as invitations to connect with an advertiser. BlackBerry says it has taken care to guard the integrity of the core messaging offered by BBM — a free chat service whose user base expanded to 85 million after it was opened to competing mobile operating systems last fall. “At no point should monetization come at the expense of the user,” David Proulx, senior director of BBM Business Development, told reporters at a briefing in Toronto. He said BlackBerry will allow only commercial features that enhance the BBM social experience, noting that the company is acutely aware of the risk of alienating customers. (as reported in the Toronto Star yesterday).
