BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) has seen far better days in emerging markets, as WhatsApp usurps it as the favoured instant messaging platform.
That hasn’t stopped a major announcement this week, as BBM operator Creative Media Works announces that you can now request an Uber via the IM service.
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The move will let BBM users on Android and iOS book Uber trips via the IM app’s Discover tab, an emailed press statement reads. The partnership sees BBM harness the m.uber.com portal to book rides.
“When launched from the Discover menu, the new Uber service asks riders to sign in with their mobile number or connect with a social media account. Once riders log in, the service accesses their profile and settings, automatically detects their location, and loads a map,” the statement continues. “Riders simply enter their destination, tap the Request Uber button as well as payment option, and wait for their ride to arrive.”
Uber has moved to offer rides via BBM — no need to use the app
“We are excited to be working with BBM Messenger — our first partner in Asia Pacific to use the m.uber platform to request an Uber ride for their users without ever having to leave the BBM app,” said Uber’s Chan Park. “With this partnership, BBM users can quickly request an Uber ride via BBM despite variations in quality of location, network speed, or device features.”
We’ve enquired about the feature coming to BlackBerry OS devices and will update the article accordingly when/if we receive a response.
It’s not the only BlackBerry-related news in recent days, as BlackBerry announced the App World will shut down on 31 December 2019, the Travel website will shut down in February 2018 and the Playbook video calling service will shutter in March 2018.
