<p>BlackBerry said on Tuesday that it would open its BlackBerry Messenger service to users of iPhones and phones running the Android operating system while it also tries to turn the instant messaging system into a competitor of Twitter.</p><p>Thorsten Heins, BlackBerry's president and chief executive, made the announcement at an annual marketing conference in Orlando, Fla., that offered relatively few new product announcements.</p><p>When carriers charged high fees for text messaging, BBM was a powerful selling tool for BlackBerry. Because it operates through BlackBerry's own private network, BBM avoids fees from cellphone service providers and offers several technical advantages. But as the number of BlackBerry users in the United States fell drastically, the attractiveness and utility of a service that only connected BlackBerry phones also declined.</p><p>"Why is BlackBerry doing this now?" Mr. Heins asked at the meeting. "We are confident that the time is right for BlackBerry Messenger to become an independent, multiplatform service."</p><p><a href="http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/14/blackberry-messaging-is-set-for-iphones-and-android/">Keep reading...</a></p><p>Read also:</p><p><a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/breaking/chi-blackberry-blackberry-messaging-on-rival-phones-20130514,0,4698426.story">Blackberry to offer messaging on rival phones</a> (Chicago Tribune)</p><p><a href="http://www.voanews.com/content/blackberry-opens-up-messaging-unveils-mid-tier-smartphone/1661037.html">BlackBerry Opens Up Messaging, Unveils Mid-Tier Smartphone - VOA</a> (Voice of America)</p><p><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/blackberry/10057162/BlackBerry-extends-BBM-messaging-service-to-Apple-and-Android.html">BlackBerry extends BBM messaging service to Apple and Android</a> (Telegraph.co.uk)</p><p>Explore: <a href="http://news.google.com/news/more?ncl=dc7Dye4WCEMcUDMzIwCU0qzmM0cIM&ned=us">656 additional articles.</a></p>