Gary Klassen, who is commonly referred to as the creator of BBM, has left BlackBerry after almost 16 years.
Klassen joined Research In Motion (RIM) in 2000 as a software engineer and after spending five years in RIM’s general software division, Klassen went on to create the team that would integrate a number of messaging services into the legacy BlackBerry operating system.
His biggest achievement came in 2005 when he launched BlackBerry Messenger (BBM). BBM was initially used for internal purposes, and was known as QuickMessenger.
Klassen envisioned the product as a way for BlackBerry users, all of whom had unique PIN codes, to chat with one another in a secure, data-driven environment.
Only a year ago, Klassen was promoted to Director of Software Architecture and Innovation.
At the time of publishing, BlackBerry have still to confirm Kassen’s departure but his wife has confirmed it in a public Facebook post:
“My Husband has walked out of BlackBerry for the last time! Gary you’ve been a wonderful example of integrity, faithfulness, and patience working there but I’m glad you’re out. Now lets have some fun before you find something else to do!”
