BlackBerry
A user holds a BlackBerry phone in the air Reuters

After WhatsApp announced that it is ending support for BlackBerry's mobile platform by the end of 2016, the Canadian smartphone maker has been pushing the limits on its cross-platform BBM instant messaging service. On Friday, BlackBerry partnered with Digitsecure, a mobile payment platform company, to integrate hassle-free money transfers into BBM.

HotRemit, Digitsecure's mobile wallet app, is now available on BlackBerry's BBM app that enables money transfers to any BBM contact without any hassles. The app can be used to send money instantly to other contacts in a secure and seamless manner and also get personalised expense reports.

"There is a growing appetite for mobile payment solutions and supporting mobile wallets, and HotRemit is another great example of how we are developing the BBM ecosystem to successfully integrate chat, social and commerce," Matthew Talbot, senior vice president (BBM) at BlackBerry, said in a statement, IANS reported.

In an official press release announcing the partnership, HotRemit noted that it operates in a PCI-DSS certified environment, which is a standard encryption mandated by the card brands and administered by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council. This ensures secure transactions of funds and protection of the money in the wallet.

"BBM provides a convenient and instant social platform for money transfers, top-ups and expense tracking to both individuals and organisations. HotRemit is committed to social financial transactions and adding more social features that simplify day to day mundane tasks," Jay Krishna, founder director of DigitSecure, said in a statement.

The updated version of the BBM app with HotRemit is available for download on Google Play Store, Apple App Store and BlackBerry World.