GSMA WAS #21 took place in Dubai, UAE, from April 8 – 10, 2025. Hosted by GSMA and e&, the event brought together industry leaders and experts to discuss the latest trends, developments, and challenges in the messaging industry.
With more than two decades of experience leading the messaging sector, Openmind Networks remains at the forefront of innovation. Our recent participation in GSMA WAS #21 in Dubai provided a crucial lens through which to examine the evolving landscape of mobile communications.
The event, a vibrant hub for global industry leaders, offered invaluable insights, particularly regarding the trajectory of mobile messaging. Our conversations with fellow industry thought leaders and the engaging panel discussions illuminated several key trends that are directly shaping the future of how we connect and communicate.
Here are some of the key takeaways that highlight the critical developments and opportunities that emerged from the event.
Securing the Messaging Ecosystem: A Non-Negotiable Priority
The pervasive threat of messaging fraud cast a long shadow over many discussions, and its implications for mobile messaging are profound. Protecting communication channels like SMS, MMS, and increasingly, RCS, is paramount for maintaining user trust and the integrity of business interactions. The increased emphasis on securing roaming communications extends directly to messaging, ensuring that users remain protected even when traversing networks.
The development and deployment of AI-driven threat detection and mitigation are becoming indispensable tools in safeguarding messaging platforms from smishing, AIT, grey routes, SIM Gateways, and other malicious activities. This focus on security is not just a technical necessity; it’s fundamental to the continued growth and adoption of mobile messaging for both personal and enterprise use.
The Ascendency of RCS Business Messaging (RBM): Transforming Customer Engagement
The evolution of RBM was a central theme in the majority of discussion and operators are keen to include MaaP development in their near-term roadmaps. GSMA WAS #21 showcased some of the use cases for RBM that build on SMS capabilities. These include advanced logistics interactions to avoid missed deliveries and disputes. The potential for tailored customer marketing based on buyer behaviors and history were also apparent with enterprises putting pressure on network operators to deliver this functionality.
The rollout of RBM continues to frustrate many operators and the ecosystem continues to favor countries for rollout where operators have come together on RBM as a coordinated offering to the market. It is clear that complexity is the biggest challenge in routing RBM messages effectively while maintaining the integrity of billing, security and data privacy.
Google is driving the ecosystem development and is confident that RBM volumes will continue to grow significantly during 2025 helping operators with business cases for investment in RBM in their networks.
5G SA Roaming: Paving the Way for Enhanced Messaging Experiences
The push for accelerated 5G SA roaming has been slower than many would have hoped. The superior connectivity and reduced latency promised by 5G SA will enable richer and more reliable messaging experiences, particularly for data-intensive formats like high-resolution images, videos, and interactive RBM content.
While significant strides have been made in 5G SA deployment, challenges remain, particularly in regions like the UK and parts of Europe, where infrastructure investment and regulatory hurdles slow progress. Conversely, countries in Asia and North America are rapidly advancing, with commercial deployments and technological innovations leading the way.
The transition to 5G-Advanced and the eventual move towards 6G will depend on continued investment, regulatory support, and technological innovation to overcome existing challenges and fully realize the potential of next-generation networks.
AI Optimization: Personalizing and Streamlining the Messaging Journey
AI optimization in roaming also holds significant potential for enhancing the mobile messaging experience. Real-time monitoring can ensure consistent delivery and quality of service for messaging, even during roaming scenarios. Automation can streamline processes related to message routing and delivery.
Predictive analytics can anticipate potential issues and proactively address them, ensuring a smoother messaging experience for users on the move. Furthermore, AI can personalize messaging interactions, offering more relevant and timely communications based on user context and preferences.
IoT & eSIM Roaming: A Catalyst for Revenue Growth in Messaging
eSIM technology is revolutionizing IoT deployments by enabling remote provisioning and management of SIM profiles. This eliminates the need for physical SIM cards, allowing devices to seamlessly switch between network operators without manual intervention. Such flexibility is crucial for IoT devices that operate across multiple regions or countries.
The GSMA’s Remote SIM Provisioning specification facilitates this by allowing consumers and enterprises to remotely activate and manage SIM profiles embedded in devices like smartphones, wearables, and IoT modules.
While not traditional person-to-person messaging, IoT devices increasingly rely on messaging protocols for communication and data exchange. Ensuring seamless roaming for these devices is crucial for applications ranging from smart home notifications to industrial sensor data. As the number of connected devices grows, it is clear that messaging revenues will grow with them.
GSMA Open Gateway: Unleashing Innovation in Messaging Through Network APIs
The GSMA Open Gateway initiative and the focus on network APIs are poised to revolutionize the mobile messaging landscape. The presented case studies on OpenAPI uptake for Sim Swap and Number verification directly address critical security concerns within messaging, offering standardized and efficient ways to combat fraud.
More broadly, the standardization of network APIs opens up a world of possibilities for developers to create innovative messaging-based services and applications. Imagine leveraging location APIs to deliver context-aware messaging, or utilizing quality-of-service APIs to ensure optimal delivery of time-sensitive messages. By providing secure and standardized access to network capabilities, Open Gateway can foster a new wave of innovation in mobile messaging, leading to richer features, enhanced security, and more seamless integration with other digital services. The ability for third-party developers to easily tap into network functionalities will undoubtedly fuel the creation of novel messaging experiences that we can only begin to imagine.
Conclusion
The insights gleaned from GSMA WAS #21 underscore a clear trend: mobile messaging is not just a communication tool; it’s evolving into a dynamic platform for engagement, commerce, and connectivity. The focus on security, the advancements in RBM, the enabling power of 5G SA and AI, and the transformative potential of Open Gateway all point towards a future where mobile messaging plays an even more central and integrated role in our digital lives. The discussions in Dubai have provided a valuable roadmap for navigating this exciting evolution. At Openmind Networks, we are committed to empowering MNOs with the tools and technology needed to thrive in this rapidly evolving messaging ecosystem.
We look forward to reconnecting with everyone at GSMA WAS #22 in Rome, where we’ll continue to drive innovation and collaborate on the future of telecom messaging!
To learn more about the topics covered in this article, or to discuss how Openmind Networks can help you navigate the future of business messaging, please get in touch at sales@openmindnetworks.com or contact our team of experts online here.
