Apple’s isn’t the only one creating a BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) type service for its platform as it appears that Google is attempting to do the same. Details are pretty scarce at the moment but it would make perfect sense for Google to jump on board, like other competitors have. The exclusive instant messenger trend began last year, when Research In Motion announced BlackBerry Messenger, an exclusive service that allowed BlackBerry users to communicate through texts and pictures with other BlackBerry users. On Monday June 6, Apple announced iMessage, a similar service that will be a part of iOS 5. BBM has been a popular service among BlackBerry users, and now with iMessage gaining interest on the iOS platform, Google might have found it wise to look into developing a similar service for their own platform, at least according to “sources familiar to the matter.” Currently, Android offers a sub-parr text only Google Talk client, although instant messaging clearly hasn’t been the company’s top priority. The thought of multiple proprietary instant messaging services on an OS-by-OS basis might sound like a very stupid idea at first, but it is actually pretty smart. If all users of a platform are automatically brought on board, the need for traditional SMS will be fairly limited. Users will simply be able to use their current internet connection to communicate with other users, without an extra fee or the 160-character limit. In countries such as the Netherlands, free messaging services like WhatsApp have surged in market share over the last year, mainly due to the fast adoption among a younger generation of users. Carriers as one might expect, aren’t completely on board with the power grab. Deutsche Telekom Chief Executive Rene Obermann went as far as saing that SMS is “a very established way to communicate” and that not everyone is technologically savvy enough to use online messaging services: Not everybody is a techno freak, and not everybody wants to deploy these new applications such as WhatsApp. Having compelling over the web messaging clients built into every phone will get the mainstream users to move away from SMS, towards the cheaper online option. Once they do, however, carriers will surely find a way to limit it, since net neutrality laws are still several years away from coming to fruition. Will Google and Apple succeed with their own messaging services like RIM did with BlackBerry Messenger? What do you think? Let us know in the comments below! Read More Authors: