subject: The Start-up Company Kik Releases New Sms Application To Fight Against Rim [print this page] When a start-up company called Kik a year ago launched a mobile phone text messaging application, its growth rate is explosive. A few weeks after the launch of the application, the downloads were more than 2 million. It makes Kik the sensational application developer of iPhone and BlackBerry smart phones.
But soon, the trouble began to come one after another. First, BlackBerry's maker RIM removed Kik's application from its application store. Then it made lawsuit against Kik and called it has patent infringement and trademark abuse.
However, at the same time that the judicial process is still continuing, Kik's software engineers are not doing nothing. Today, Kik announced a workaround that allows BlackBerry users to re-use their SMS application. This application is not only extremely fast, but also let the users know whether the recipient have read the message. Kik's team of engineers developed a method of adaptation that uses Java Mobile Application.
Kik's founder and CEO Ted Livingston said that this application does not require tools of RIM. It does not require the application program interface and it has no need to go through their consent.
RIM started for Kik in 11 months time since a lot of things happened. Last spring, Kik raised 800 million U.S. dollars from Union Square Ventures. Apple introduced a product called iMessage. This product is similar to RIM's BBM instant messaging service. But it can only run in the Apple phone. At the same time, the share of RIM's BlackBerry mobile phones continues to be occupied by iPhone and Android phones.
In the second quarter, the overall sales of the smart phone market grew 74% compared with the same period of the last year, while the share of RIM fell from the 19% in the last year to 12%.
The analyst said that although RIM's move was has led to Kik's growth almost stagnant, but the startup has expanded its business to the Android and other mobile phones to regain vitality. The analyst said, Kik's number of registered users now have been more than 5 million. The number of daily messages released by Kik's application is about 3 million. This application is not only extremely fast, but also let the users know whether the recipient have read the message. This application does not require tools of RIM. It does not require the application program interface and it has no need to go through their consent.
