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| Mike al-Mefleh: showcasing the BlackBerry range |
BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM) is optimistic of further growth in Qatar with competitive tariffs being offered for the smartphone service by its partners – Qtel and Vodafone.
According to RIM Middle East director (product management, services and platforms) Mike al-Mefleh, the BlackBerry tariff in Qatar is “one of the lowest in the region”.
Highlighting the popularity of BlackBerry services in Qatar, al-Mefleh said the BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) is “immensely popular” in the country with 98% penetration among BlackBerry users.
“This rate is one of the highest in the world,” al-Mefleh said yesterday.
BlackBerry Messenger also tops the 10 popular “Apps downloading” in Qatar, al-Mefleh said.
BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) is a proprietary Internet-based instant messenger application included on BlackBerry devices, which allows messaging between BlackBerry users.
Al-Mefleh said sharing information and content among BlackBerry users would become easier with near field communication-enabled (NFC) BlackBerry smartphones that were now available in Qatar.
He also showcased the recently announced BlackBerry 7.1 OS, the new BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 and updates to BlackBerry Messenger.
“The new BlackBerry 7.1 OS will further enhance the mobile experience and make life easier, from managing daily tasks to planning big adventures with capabilities such as BlackBerry Tag, a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot, BBM 6.1 and connected apps.
“With BlackBerry 7.1, users will now be able to share information and content by simply tapping their NFC-enabled BlackBerry smartphone against another NFC-enabled BlackBerry smartphone. They can instantly invite a friend to BBM, exchange contact information, documents, URLs, photos and other multimedia content.
Other BlackBerry 7.1 capabilities demonstrated by al-Mefleh are;
• Wi-Fi hotspot - users can now turn their BlackBerry smartphone into a mobile hotspot that can be shared by up to five Wi-Fi -enabled devices, including laptops and tablets.
• FM radio - customers with a BlackBerry Curve 9360 or 9380 smartphone will be able to tune in and enjoy local FM radio stations.
BlackBerry 7.1 also supports the latest version of the BBM instant messaging service, BBM 6.1. Additional features will allow users to personalise their experience even more with support for animated avatars, a dozen new and fun emoticons to spice up conversations, and the ability to customise chat bubbles with different colours. In addition, the new BBM app allows users to add customised personal messages of up to 160 characters in their online profile, more than double the length supported in previous versions.
New features of the BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 were also demonstrated, designed to enable customers to stay even more connected and productive in their personal and professional lives.
