RIM introduce VoIP Calling over Wi-Fi for BB Messenger - Telecom Providers Trouble with the Curve of Wi-Fi Calling

It seems RIM (Research in Motion) is getting serious about making a comeback in the smartphone arena, especially with its Corporate and Enterprise partners. On Wednesday November 14^th 2012, RIM announced that the latest update for Blackberry 6 OS and Blackberry 7 OS will enable BB Messenger users to make Voice Calls over Wi-Fi.

 This as stated in no less noble a publication than The Jamaica Observer in the article entitled “RIM offers free voice calls over Wi-Fi with BBM”, published Thursday, November 15, 2012 11:47 AM, The Jamaica Observer. The official Press Release is on RIM’s website in an article entitled “BBM Now Lets You Have Voice Chats for Free Over Wi-Fi”, published November 13, 2012, RIM Press Releases.

Folks bear witness to history. This may be a foretaste of Blackberry 10 OS as the Telecoms World await Blackberry’s Global comeback set for Wednesday January 30^th 2012 as noted in my blog article entitled “Blackberry 10 OS and smartphones for Global Launch on January 30 2013AD - RIM's The Man with the Iron Fist needs a Solid Tablet Partner” .

The free BlackBerry Messenger update  is also available at BlackBerry Beta Zone for Blackberry 6 OS and Blackberry 7 OS with support for Blackberry 5 OS coming at a later date as stated in “BlackBerry Messenger gets support for voice chats over Wi-Fi”, published November 14, 2012 9:19 AM PST by Don Reisinger, CNET News.

Essentially the new feature allows the following in BB Messenger:

1.      Voice Calls for customer with Blackberry Data Plans to other updated Blackberrys with Data Plans over Wi-Fi only

2.      Instantaneous switching between messaging and talking whenever you need

3.      The Ability to send and check BB messages and talk at the same time

4.      Compatible with all accessories for the Blackberry (like duh-uh!)

This is going to make the Black Sheep in Latin American and the Developing World Countries more faithful and loyal to Blackberry as opined in the article “BBM Voice: RIM adds Wi-Fi voice calling to BlackBerry Messenger”, published Nov 14, 2012 - 6:49AM PT By Kevin C. Tofel, GigaOM. Not surprising, as Blackberry already has a Mobile Streaming with BBM Music at US$5.00 per month as described in my blog article entitled “BBM Music Service coming for US$5 monthly – The Sound of Music attracts Millennials”.

VoIP Calling will allow those already hooked to the BB Messenger and its  unlimited Texting with a Blackberry Data Plan in Jamaica as described in my Geezam blog article entitled “How to Set Up a Prepaid or Postpaid Blackberry Plan on your BB for LIME or Digicel” to also use Wi-Fi to save on their Prepaid Credit  or Postpaid Minutes as well!

After all, if you can have unlimited texting, why not Voice Calling with you Data Plan? Thus it seems that RIM, in preparing for their comeback among their core Corporate, Enterprise and Government users with their (Federal Information Publishing Standard) 140-2 certified compliant smartphone, is also extending this level of Security to Voice Calls as well. Super Secure Voice Calls over Wi-Fi, even if the Wi-Fi is open and intercepted!

This by no means is a new idea, as the following smartphone competitors already have VoIP Calling on their smartphones:

1.      Apple and Facetime and iMessage, heralds of Video Calling Standardization on smartphones as predicted in my blog article entitled “Chatroulette, FaceTime and Smartphone Video Calling - The Thomas Crown Affair” and  “Apple iPhone 4S and Apple iMessage - Timeline for Standardization of Instant Messaging”

2.      Google and Google Voice as mentioned in my blog article entitled “Google and Google Voice - The World is Not Enough” and “Google Voice and Google Nexus One - All's Well that Ends Well”

3.      Microsoft and Skype, which replaces Messenger as noted in my blog article entitled “Microsoft replacing Messenger with Skype by First Quarter of 2013AD - A Solid Pitch Perfect (2012) Tablet and Smartphone Ecosystem for the Corporate Road Warriors”

Clever RIM!

By rolling out this feature that’s coming in the Blackberry 10 OS as a standard, it’ll hold the faithful sixty million (60,000,000) strong BB users within Blackberrys core eighty million (80,000,000) Black Sheep worldwide still pining away for a phone to get excited about as noted in “BlackBerry Messenger Voice: It’s About Time”, published November 15, 2012 at 3:49 am PT by Christa Johnston, All Things Digital.

But most importantly for Jamaica Blackberry 6 and 7 OS faithful already quite satisfied with BB Messenger, this is but icing on the cake. This as they are one simple update away from Free Calling in Jamaica, as despite the adoption of smartphones as noted in my blog article entitled “Blackberry popularity wanes as Jamaicans go smartphones - Android and Apple's Smartphone Revolution”, Blackberry’s rule.

Even worse for Telecom Providers, this may be the beginning of VoIP Video Calling over BB Messenger on the upcoming Blackberry 10 OS. VoIP Calling in BB Messenger, albeit a Beta Feature, is being tested over Wi-Fi and may eventually wind up on as free Video VoIP Calling over Telecom Provider Networks 3G and 4G LTE Networks.

That is, if the new Blackberry phones as described in my blog article entitled “Blackberry 10 OS and smartphones for Global Launch on January 30 2013AD - RIM's The Man with the Iron Fist needs a Solid Tablet Partner” come with Front-Facing Cameras.

Telecom Providers LIME and Digicel are now faced with the prospect of seeing the following:

1.      A surge in the popularity of Blackberry Data Plans as well as upgrades in Blackberry Data Plans as described in my Geezam blog article entitled “How to Set Up a Prepaid or Postpaid Blackberry Plan on your BB for LIME or Digicel”  in order to take advantage of this update

2.      An uptick in the not only Blackberry purchases but also new Blackberrys connecting to their Networks

3.      Increase in the sales of their Wi-Fi Hotspot devices i.e. Mi-Fi such as those on offer by Telecom Provider LIME and Digicel

4.      Increasing usage of Dekal Wireless and Nubian-1 Tech Services Municipal Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) Networks as already explained in my Geezam blog article entitled “Crouching LIME Huawei E586 Mi-Fi – Hidden Dekal Wireless Dragon”.

5.      Reduction in Voice Calling from Blackberry users with their upgraded Blackberry Data Plans as they switch to Wi-Fi Calling as described in my blog article entitled “Telecom Providers 4G vs Wi-Fi Calling - Galaxy Rangers”

Thus, whether Telecom Providers LIME and Digicel intended it to happen or not, regular Prepaid and Postpaid Customer armed with Blackberrys and upgraded Blackberry Data Plans may end up being Trouble with the Curve (2012). This as the coming Blackberry 10 OS and the much improved hardware is sure to spur the adoption of smartphones and Data Plans with the intention to use VoIP Calling to save on the cost of Voice Calling.

A privilege which Telecom Providers LIME and Digicel had originally reserved for SME (Small and Medium Enterprise) business people toting smartphones as prognosticated in my blog article entitled “Digicel and Avaya Communications launch Avaya Aura for SME's - LIME and Digicel in a Step Up Revolution towards GSM Voice Extinction”, now available to all.