BlackBerry finally rolled out BBM for iOS and Android earlier today. But there is a catch. It requires iOS and Android users to sign up for a waiting list before using it. In short, if you don’t have the invite for BBM from BlackBerry, you cant use it on your Android or iPhone just yet.

After quite some delay and uncertainty surrounding the launch of BBM, or BlackBerry Messenger for both iOS and Android, BlackBerry has just released a press statement revealing that both versions will manifest at their respective stores in the coming hours. Such is the way things have been for BlackBerry over the past couple of years, this is arguably the most exciting thing the company has announced since BB10, and with six million consumers having signed up to the progress update feed of BBM’s wider launch, it looks as though the wait is now finally, almost over.

This is just in, BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) for iOS has just gone live on the App Store. Currently, it is only available in New Zealand App Store, but it shouldn’t be too long before the rollout on all the App Stores is complete. More details after the break.

There have been rumors around for a long time that the infamous BlackBerry Messenger, better known as BBM, would be going cross platform and becoming available for iPhone and Android. While it was almost entirely certain, now we even have a date to look forward to. Dedicated BBM apps for iOS and Android would be making way to their respective app stores starting September 21, according the official BlackBerry blog.

BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) is coming to Android and iOS really soon. The faltering company announced back in May of this year that they were in the process of porting their once popular messaging platform to multiple platforms, but it looks like the Android version has managed to make an appearance a little prematurely. That’s right folks, BlackBerry Messenger for Android has somehow managed to leak out to the public, but executives don’t need to worry just yet, as it’s entirely unusable without prior permission being granted.

Both the iOS and Android versions of BBM are tipped for an October-time release to the public, but apart from that there has been little news or leaks claiming to purport to offer an insight into what is around the corner for BBM.

Despite the fact that BlackBerry looks in more than a spot of bother just now, the planned effort to bring the famed BlackBerry Messenger service, or BBM, to Android and iOS is still going ahead as planned. Whether owners of said devices actually require this impromptu resurrection of a dying brand – particularly in light of services like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger – remains to be seen, but by the looks of a new landing page on the Canadian arm of the company’s website, the wait is almost over.

BlackBerry’s free mobile messaging tool has proven to be an extremely popular IM platform in the past, but dwindling BlackBerry device popularity has ensured that usage has significantly dropped recently. BlackBerry has a lot of work to do to pull back its brand, and it seems like it could all start with the release of BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) for Samsung Galaxy devices.

Blackberry’s BBM instant messaging service was once very popular, back when the company was at the top of its game, and indeed, on top of the smartphone market. Things have changed quite a bit in recent years, though, thanks in no small part to the likes of Apple’s iPhone and a deluge of Android devices, products have collectively left BlackBerry’s once-domineering brand on the brink of collapse. With the For Sale signs now up and the Canadian company on the hunt for investors, the fact that BBM for iOS and Android for both being announced is perhaps of little consequence, but in light of today’s leaking of the user guides for both the new apps, it would appear that a release is nigh.

In an attempt to try and reestablish itself in the smartphone market it was once a key component of, Canadian outfit BlackBerry announced earlier on this year that it was bringing its famed, exclusive BlackBerry Messenger service to iOS and Android. Neither of the big two ecosystems are short on IM services already, but with BlackBerry short on ideas, the decision to open up BBM could well be the catalyst needed for the brand to reemerge as a giant. Today, a beta version of both the iOS and Android versions are now available on the BlackBerry Beta Zone, and although not all members have been offered a chance to test out the unfinished software, it would appear that we’re drawing ever closer to the official release.

According to sources, Google is working on its own version of iMessage, the exclusive instant messaging client that’s built into iOS. Details are scarce at the moment, but it would make perfect sense for Google to jump on board, like other competitors have.

If you’re a regular reader of this site, you’re probably aware of iOS 5, Apple’s newest release of iOS, currently in beta form. Reviewer Steven Chi, member of the Redmond Pie family, got his hands on iOS 5 and has put together a video showcasing iMessage, one of the major new features in iOS 5. Overall, it went pretty smoothly.