Alliance to transform BBM’s cross-platform offerings through new content-rich features and innovative BBM services
New Delhi, India – June 27, 2016 – BlackBerry Limited (NASDAQ: BBRY; TSX: BB), a global leader in secure mobile communications, announced a strategic alliance with PT Elang Mahkota Teknologi Tbk. (Emtek, IDX:EMTK) that will provide cross-platform BBM users with access to enriched content and services. This landmark partnership accelerates BlackBerry’s vision to advance BBM for the consumer market through a licensing agreement with Emtek Group that enables the company to develop new BBM applications and services for Android, iOS and Windows Phones.
To strengthen the alliance, Emtek’s digital content arm KMK Online will establish an office in the Toronto area to work closely with BlackBerry. KMK Online has a wide breadth of media assets that will be combined with more than 20 of Emtek’s businesses and investments to bring significant value and services to BBM. These investments span across broadcast television, Web properties, content production and artists. This means, in the coming months, users will have access to a plethora of content such as national free-to-air (FTA) television stations, one of the leading online video platforms, three exclusive production houses and a library of more than 100,000 hours of TV and premium content, just to name a few.
BlackBerry will also extend its open mobility ecosystem by making the BBM application program interface (API) available to Emtek in order to accelerate the growth of partners and service providers. Integrating BBM’s social, chat, commerce and content capabilities with Emtek’s substantial portfolio of assets and ecosystem will help maximize the potential of BBM to give customers access to new:
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Content –music and video streaming, games, sports and news channels, celebrity blogs and more
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Commerce – shopping, gifting and coupons/vouchers
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Online to Offline Commerce – booking movies, travel, health services or job postings
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Finance – payment processing, money transfer, mobile phone re-charge, and utilities billing