Days after reporting on the beta version of the software, Beejive v2.0 is official.  A trial version can be found at www.beejive.com/download, and the application can be purchased at www.beejive.com/buy.  Among other things, new features of Beejive 2.0 are support for OS 5.0 and the Storm series, different chat styles, Facebook chat, push notifications, a refined user interface, and more.  If you purchase Beejive prior to January 1, 2010, the individual device license is $9.95 (normally $19.95) and a transferable user license is $14.95 (normally $29.95).

The full press release is after the break.  Stay tuned for my full review!

Beejive Unveils BeejiveIM for BlackBerry 2.0, Offers 50 Percent Off Sale Price Through the Holidays
Comprehensive IM Solution Adds Facebook Chat, GPS Location, Voice Notes, Support for the BlackBerry 5.0 Operating System, and More

SAN FRANCISCO—December 16, 2009—Beejive today announced the immediate availability of BeejiveIM for BlackBerry 2.0, the most full-featured IM application available on the BlackBerry platform. This fast, modern, and highly customizable BlackBerry app supports Facebook Chat, GoogleTalk®, AIM®/iChat®/MobileMe®, MSN®/Windows Live®, Yahoo!®, MySpace, ICQ®, and Jabber, allowing users to access all of their IM accounts from one user-friendly app. With BeejiveIM, users can experience the always-on connectivity and feature richness of desktop instant messaging from their BlackBerrys, making it much easier and more cost effective to communicate than via texting.  From now until January 1, 2010, BeejiveIM for BlackBerry 2.0 will be available for fifty percent off, with device licenses available for only $9.95 and user licenses available for only $14.95 from www.beejive.com/buy.  At these prices, using BeejiveIM to send instant messages is substantially cheaper than most text messaging plans.

BeejiveIM for BlackBerry 2.0 adds a multitude of new key features that enable users to stay in touch more effectively than ever.  Already a full-featured social networking application, BeejiveIM 2.0 now includes:

• Facebook chat: Chat with your Facebook friends while on the go, and see a record of your chats on facebook.com.
• Clickable Twitter usernames: Click on a Twitter username in a chat to launch Twitter.
• Refined and responsive UI: Take advantage of BeejiveIM’s custom-written user interface, offering speedy and responsive controls and a modern look-and-feel.
• Voice notes: Instantly record and send voice messages to your IM contacts. Voice notes are perfect for on-the-go chatting, such as when you are walking down the street or need to get information to someone quickly and don’t have time to type.
• GPS location: Send your current GPS location with a link to Google Maps, taking advantage of your BlackBerry’s location features and adding a new location-aware element to your chats.
• More chat styles: Customize your chat styles and colors and set different backgrounds and wallpapers.
• File transfers with all IM services: Easily send, receive, and review file attachments, and see previews of images right inside your chat.
• Push notifications: Whether running in the foreground or the background, BeejiveIM will always notify you of new instant messages.
• Improved Battery Life:  Staying in touch with all your friends is now far gentler on your battery.
• Support for the 5.0 OS and Storm:  BeejiveIM supports all BlackBerrys running 4.2.1+ and 5.X operating systems, including the Storm and Storm 2.

These join an already long list of features, including:

• Group chats: Chat with groups of contacts on AIM®, Yahoo®, MSN®, and Jabber.
• UI Customization: Customize your buddy lists, chat layouts, bubble styles, and more.
• Logging: View your chat history, and email yourself logs of your past chats.
• Buddy Icons: Show icons for all contacts in your buddy list.
• Clickable Hyperlinks: Click on real hyperlinks in chats, allowing you to browse, call, tweet, email, text, or PIN message directly from a chat screen.

“Mobile phones are now full-fledged social networking tools and remote offices, and we enable the millions of BlackBerry users to always stay in touch with their friends and business contacts on virtually any chat network,” said Kai Yu, founder and CEO of Beejive. “With BeejiveIM for BlackBerry 2.0 we’ve added a long list of powerful new features to help users stay in contact while minimizing their text messaging expenses. And, in the spirit of the holidays, we’re cutting the price in half, the biggest sale we’ve ever had. ”

Pricing and Availability
BeejiveIM for BlackBerry is available with two different licenses: a $9.95 device license and a $14.95 user license. The device license is for use on one BlackBerry, and if you change your BlackBerry device you will need to purchase a license upgrade or transfer. The user license is for use on one BlackBerry device at a time and can be transferred to other BlackBerrys for free. Both versions include free upgrades. On January 1, 2010, pricing will return to $19.95 for device licenses and $29.95 for user licenses.

Visit www.beejive.com/buy to purchase BeejiveIM for your BlackBerry or, to enjoy a free 30 day trial, go to www.beejive.com/download.

About Beejive
Based in San Francisco, Beejive (pronounced \bē-hīv\) is a privately held company specializing in the design and development of software for mobile devices. Founded in 2006, Beejive strives to become the world’s premier developer of fast, reliable, and easy-to-use mobile software. BeejiveIM, the initial offering from Beejive’s product portfolio, is a multi-protocol instant messaging client that connects the mobile user to the major instant messaging networks.  BeejiveIM was created to address the lack of reliable, user-friendly instant messaging applications available to mobile users. For more information, please visit www.beejive.com.