The future of business messaging took center stage at MEF CONNECTS Omnichannel, where RCS emerged as both a game-changer and a challenge for the industry to solve.
On November 19th, MEF CONNECTS Omnichannel, hosted by the Mobile Ecosystem Forum, brought together some of the sharpest minds in messaging to discuss the future of business communications. The discussions revolved heavily around the role of RCS and its potential impact on the messaging landscape.
Here are some key insights from the event.
RCS: The Buzziest Topic in Messaging
RCS has emerged as the most talked-about innovation in messaging in recent years. With its potential to transform business-to-consumer communication, RCS is pushing the boundaries of how enterprises engage with customers. The technology aims to provide richer, interactive experiences that could either replace SMS as the default messaging standard or possibly develop concurrently as an advanced messaging product for brands.
WhatsApp vs. RCS: A Different Path to Success
While RCS is making waves, WhatsApp is a few years ahead in terms of business messaging development. As a closed system, WhatsApp benefits from a more unified, coherent approach to growth and development. However, it lacks the universal reach that RCS promises, given RCS’s ambition to be an open standard across carriers and devices worldwide. Each channel has its unique advantages, and it remains to be seen which one will lead in the long term.
The Reality of Omnichannel
Despite the promise of omnichannel communication, the conference highlighted a reality check: at present, only two messaging channels – RCS and WhatsApp – show significant potential to dominate the market. Nick Lane of Mobilesquared presented data to suggest a true “omnichannel” approach may be a bit premature, as other channels still struggle to gain similar traction or impact.
Agent Verification: The Crux of RCS
One of the most critical points discussed was agent verification within the RCS business messaging ecosystem. Agent verification is emerging as the linchpin holding together the promise of trust and security in RCS messaging. By ensuring that businesses are verified and legitimate, agent verification could be the factor that determines widespread adoption by building trust with end users. However, with between 300 and 400 million businesses worldwide, the workload of doing agent verification is going to have to either be outsourced or automated… or both.
Whichever methods are used to verify brands and the agents they create, it is going to have to be highly credible as, once an agent is verified, they will appear legitimate to subscribers. John Bruner, CEO of Aegis Mobile, spoke on a number of panels outlining the advanced capabilities their organization provides to the ecosystem of partners in managing agent verification.
Google Finds a Way Through the RCS Stalemate
Google’s efforts were also highlighted as they have been instrumental in overcoming the political and technical challenges that have slowed the progress of RCS. There have been times in the past few years where it felt like RCS would never live up to its potential but the support of Apple brings with it the possibility of full penetration of RCS on mobile devices.
In addition, by taking an active role in pushing RCS forward using the GSMA protocols, Google has helped to establish a more standardized and scalable framework for RCS to grow across different markets and carriers.
10 Key Markets to Shape the Future of RCS
The future of RCS hinges on ten key markets, which will set the pace for its global rollout and success. The United States, Canada, Spain, UK, France, Germany and others will lead the way in bringing RCS for business to the marketplace and proving the model. It is in these markets, supported by Apple, that we will need to demonstrate that ecosystem partners can work collaboratively to present a compelling RCS solution to enterprises. If successful, these regions could be instrumental in proving that RCS can thrive at scale.
Operators Need 3 Key Elements to Get on Board with RCS
According to the panel discussions, operators will need three critical components to fully embrace RCS.
Customer-Centricity is Paramount
Finally, a recurring theme throughout the conference was the importance of customer-centricity. While RCS and other channels promise advanced features, the ultimate goal must be to deliver superior customer experiences. Use cases should aim to replicate the best of personalized customer engagement – but at scale – ensuring that the human touch isn’t lost in the drive toward technology-led communication.
The discussions at MEF CONNECTS Omnichannel in London made it clear that the future of messaging is full of promise – but also challenges. RCS is on the cusp of transforming business messaging, and success will depend on collaboration, verification, and a relentless focus on customer experience.
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 or contact our team of messaging experts online here.
