So, why should you develop for the Blackberry platform?
Nigerian Network Operators loves Blackberry
Blackberry is friendly to their network. According to an inside source, more Blackberry users do not translate to more resources usage and therefore this means lesser impact on the network infrastructure. Blackberry compresses the amount of data consumed by its users. On the other hand, most of the other device manufacturers do not have this capability. Some of these devices actually consume large data (except you’re using Opera Mini). This allows the Operators to offer cheaper and abundant data to Blackberry subscribers. The Operators seem to be happy but the users are definitely happy.
Blackberry is addictive
Yes, using Blackberry is addictive. One of the reasons people use social networks a lot is its addictive nature. The reward and / or feedback in form of likes, comments, follow and re-tweets make(s) using these social networks addictive. Some parents even go late to pick their children from school just because they were on Facebook or Twitter, responding to tweets and comments. This same goes for Blackberry.
The Blackberry messenger is one of the fantastic selling point of the Blackberry. Remove the BBM and only a few people will be left, I tell you. You can send unlimited messages in quick succession that deliver instantly using Blackberry Messenger (BBM) without paying extra. All you have to pay for is your monthly Blackberry Internet Service (BIS). With as little as N500 per week or N1,500 per month, you can have access to one email, BBM, App world, and a host of other services. This is the plan you find the majority of users on. Those who go for the full BIS are usually business folks who use more that one email.
Can you see the catch? This is not just some guess-work. I had some extensive conversation last night on Twitter and I got some interesting responses. The question I posed on my Twitter stream is:
Those moving away from Blackberry are moving to Androids and iPhones. Will Blackberry users in Nigeria move? Will you?
I asked this question to test, albeit in a small way, if Blackberry is going to keep growing or growth will stall very soon in Nigeria. The responses really amazed me.
