BlackBerry added a daily content channel to its BBM messaging app in Indonesia, in line with its aim “to make BBM your social hub”.

The company said it is looking to create a commercial ecosystem around the app, as other services such as commerce and media move into the messaging app realm. Indeed, companies such as Kakao and LINE have looked to use their positions in messaging to move into other areas, in order to increase engagement with their user bases.

BlackBerry said that BBM is the most popular messaging app in Indonesia, with 58 million users. “There isn’t another messaging app in the market today that can compete with the ecosystem we’re developing in Indonesia,” Matthew Talbot, SVP of emerging solutions, said.

The channel is called BBM Life and has partnerships in place with MBDC Media, which owns entertainment and humour sites; VIVAnews, a news content provider; and Hipwee, which covers topics such as entertainment, relationships, travel and “inspirational articles”. Mobile food ordering app Qraved is also set to join.

And the company also noted existing partnerships with retailers; its BBM Pay mobile money service; and BBM Shop, which offers airtime topups, apps, games, stickers and streaming music.

BlackBerry said that increased consumer activity is attracting advertisers to BBM.