SMS successor released in the Netherlands: this is how RCS works

Sept. 25, 2020

For the past few months we've just been busy.... RCS (Rich Communication Services). The technology is the future of SMS and Google is pulling hard to market it. But what does it mean for you now. We'd love to tell you more about it.

Posted by Marcel Dijkgraaf

Management / Head of Technology

Chat

Nowadays, many people are on WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, or even Telegram. These chat applications have slowly driven SMS out of everyday use for "Person to Person" chat messages.

But in the Messaging Services world we are hearing more and more about RCS, Google is one of the companies the abbreviation kept using in recent years when talking about Chat applications
But what is RCS, what can you use it for, and why is it only now coming.

What is RCS?

RCS stands for "Rich Communication Services" and refers to a protocol developed by the GSMA consortium. It is a free protocol that operates over IP. "Over IP" means it works over the internet, just like WhatsApp, unlike SMS, which operates over the cellular network.

What is the purpose of RCS?

To provide standardized messaging services, for everyone.

What services are we talking about:

- Independent messaging (not dependent on vendors like Facebook, Google, Apple)
- Verified Sender
- Person to Person messaging
- Group chat
- Sending files
- Availability notification
- VoIP calls
- Video calls
- Geolocation sharing
- Audio messaging
- Blacklist

How do I do marketing with RCS?

Conversational marketing helps build and maintain customer relationships. Good relationships lead to repeat buyers and loyal customers, which is one of the brand's strongest assets. For businesses, there is RCS Business Messaging with it a company can offer its customers a personalized experience with natural conversations. RCS is a channel that provides the ability to share products and information using carousels, images and predefined responses. For example, if you want to let a customer choose from your offerings, or ask about their preferences, it can be done through RCS by choosing using the extended features.

Trust

To ensure consumer trust, Verified Senders are created by the Gateways, which thereby keep track of the commercial parties providing RCS services.A verified sender receives a green checkmark after his name, as a sign of trust.

What is the thinking behind RCS?

Independence is the idea behind RCS, you may not know it, but all the services we use today are owned by private companies, Messenger and WhatsApp for example are owned by Facebook Skype by Microsoft and iMessage by Apple. So all your communication goes through the hands of private companies. Some companies use that, some don't. Those services are basically less reliable than SMS, which goes through a telephone network, and falls under telecom law.
But, on the other hand, RCS is not end-to-end encrypted, which in turn worries some people.

And, from a practical standpoint, if you want “iMessage for all,” you need a standard. But that standard has to be accepted by the companies, and they happen to be in fierce competition with one another.RCS is an open standard, which means that any company that makes phones or devices can implement it, creating an “iMessage for all” without being tied to Apple. RCS doesn’t block competition; companies can continue to expand their messaging apps alongside RCS, adding whatever cool features they can come up with. It simply means you can send messages whether you use Android Messages or Samsung Messages.

Why is RCS only coming now?

That sounds good right? iMessage for all. Yet it's not as easy as it seems. The standard has been available for quite a long time (more than 10 years) but because so many parties have to agree, it takes a long time before it takes a step forward. Especially the telecom operators hesitated for a long time. Because the SMS turnover was simply too high, a business case for RCS became difficult, RCS does require the necessary investments.But, that has now changed. The Dutch operators and Google have indicated that they will put RCS on the market.

Interested?

Then email jeroen.kok@mobilewater.nl or call 06-27086850.