BlackBerry (NASDAQ: BBRY) plans to release its popular BBM messaging service for Android and iOS platforms later this summer as a free app for users, according to BlackBerry chief executive Thorsten Heins.

"It's time to bring BBM to a greater audience—no matter what mobile device they carry," Heins said in a Verge report. "We're starting with messaging and groups, but we'll bring voice, screen share, and of course, Channels [social media] later on," he said.

Heins was referring to the vendor's new social media platform, BBM Channels, housed within BBM, that enables users to create a “channel” for others to follow. Based on approval from Apple’s (NASDAQ: AAPL) App Store and Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) Play, BlackBerry messenger will support iOS6 and Android 4.0, he said. If it gets the nod, BBM will be offered as a free download, available initially for iOS and Android as a text-only app until a voice feature, video chatting and BBM Channels are added in a few months. Details about system requirements and availability will be announced closer to the launch, BlackBerry said.

BBM has been a BlackBerry staple for some time and the company seems undaunted about the prospect of competing for a stake on the iOS and Android platforms. A significant benefit for existing BBM users with the new iOS and Android releases is the ability to broaden their connections to include friends, family and colleagues on other mobile platforms.

“For BlackBerry, messaging and collaboration are inseparable from the mobile experience, and the time is definitely right for BBM to become a multi-platform mobile service,” said Andrew Bocking, BlackBerry software product management and ecosystem executive vice president. “BBM has always been one of the most engaging services for BlackBerry customers, enabling them to easily connect while maintaining a valued level of personal privacy. We’re excited to offer iOS and Android users the possibility to join the BBM community.”

In making the case for BBM on competing platforms, BlackBerry claims more than 60 million monthly active BBM customers, with more than 51 million people using BBM an average of 90 minutes per day. According to the company, BBM customers collectively send and receive more than 10 billion messages each day. About half of those messages are read within 20 seconds of being received, the company said.

Separately, at the BlackBerry Live event in Orlando, Fla., the company rolled out the BlackBerry Q5, a new device targeted at emerging markets set to go on sale in July. BlackBerry also released version 10.1 of its operating system featuring a Skype phone app.