BBM launches for Android and iOS -- again

BlackBerry has relaunched BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) for Android and iOS, almost a month after its previous attempt was derailed by a leaked edition.

This time the company appears to be keeping more control over events, in particular by making some users wait for an official notification email before they can use the app.

If you signed up in advance at BBM.com then this shouldn’t be a problem, according to a BlackBerry blog post -- you’ll be given access right away.

Everyone else will have to launch the app, enter an email address and wait for a while. How long? BlackBerry says it’s "focused on moving millions of customers through the line as fast as possible". It seems to have allowed the first block of five million new users online just after launch, but nothing has happened since then, as we write.

If you’re impatient to find out more, than the @BBM Twitter feed will keep you up-to-date with the latest.

And while we’re all waiting, it’s tempting to wonder if all this demand for BBM, at least, means there’s a future somewhere for BlackBerry, after all?

BBM is available for download (if not use) now.