Canadian smartphone maker, BlackBerry might be planning to separate BlackBerry Messenger service into a new company, according to people closer to the matter.

Report indicated that the new company would be called BBM Inc. BlackBerry Messenger has remained a popular platform for BlackBerry users ever since it was launched by the company on its devices. The app allows users to send and receive text messages to other BlackBerry Messenger users without paying text-messaging fees.

Even as BlackBerry devices are facing a decline, the BlackBerry Messenger has remained a popular choice of users around the world. Creating a separate company would allow BlackBerry Messenger to directly compete with the likes of Whatsapp and WeTalk in the global smartphone market. Reports also said that if the messenger services are launched, it will soon be expanded to other platforms.

Reports have suggested that the company had built BBM that can work across several platforms a year earlier and a desktop version is also running internally at BlackBerry. The reports comes after Waterloo, Ontario-based company said that it has formed a special committee to consider a potential sale, as well as joint ventures and partnerships.