BlackBerry's future is up for grabs.
But the decision to release the previously proprietary BlackBerry Messaging system for iOS and Android devices looks like it will make the company more valuable.
Over the past seven days, BBM has gained 20 million new users, bringing its total userbase to over 80 million monthly active users.
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BlackBerry says BBM was the top free overall app in 35 countries on Google Play and in 107 countries in the App Store.
Key existing BlackBerry territories such as Canada, the UK, Indonesia and much of the Middle East have led the downloads.
It will also be interesting to see how BBM activity pans out in the US; once the most lucrative country for BlackBerry.
Of course, the opening up the service to iOS and Android has its downside. Current BlackBerry users will now be able to upgrade to competing handsets while keeping their BBM community intact.
Still, given the parlous state of BlackBerry as a corporate entity, new owner Fairfax Capital will be more interested in short-term relevance than longterm strategy, especially if the Facebook deal is more than mere rumours.
