After it just added a friend-finding feature, we’ve learned that BBM is likely going to go through another change, this time in management.
After leading the charge in the BBM race since June, BlackBerry’s EVP of BBM, Andrew Bocking, has left the company, apparently over disagreements regarding BBM integration into the Canadian company according to BGR:
“One source of ours tells us he was let go and that BlackBerry is rolling up the BBM group into the enterprise unit and that Andrew was displeased with BlackBerry as whole, replacing his personal phone with an Android phone instead of using one of BlackBerry’s products. Another source of ours, however, firmly denies Andrew was fired and that him leaving is “a big loss” for the BBM division and he was poached by a competitor.”
It’s not clear whether Bocking left intentionally or was forced out by BlackBerry management
It’s not clear yet whether Bocking left intentionally or was forced out by BlackBerry management. It’s also unclear where Bocking will be working from here on out.
Bocking was instrumental in expanding BBM to Android and iOS and had even replaced his own BlackBerry device with one powered by Android. Bocking had promised that the app would be “completely and equally” updated across all platforms and had supposedly been interested in expanding the BBM platform beyond BlackBerry and into additional areas, creating an entire platform in an of itself, possibly much like LINE and Tango.
“I can confirm that Andrew Bocking, EVP, BBM has made the decision to leave BlackBerry” a company spokesperson said in a statement. “We thank him for his years of leadership and contribution.”