There’s some irony in watching the BlackBerry movie while writing this. However, while RCS (Rich Communication Services) has come close to death many times like BlackBerry, through sheer persistence (mostly by Google) it is finally becoming a new global standard in messaging.
Every mobile phone in the world has a built-in messaging app for SMS messages. RCS promises to become a new global standard enabling richer content within the same app – no extra apps to download.
RCS messaging offers many benefits to users including carousels, links, images, and videos. Trust and security are enhanced trust through branding features and end-to-end encryption. These features will be critical for many industries such as finance, where security and trust are crucial, and service industries, where richer content will enhance the consumer experience.
This article looks at how messaging on mobile phones has evolved from simple SMS to advanced RCS, exploring its history, present advantages, and future possibilities.
The Origins of Mobile Messaging
Our journey begins on December 3, 1992, when Neil Papworth sent the inaugural text message, “Merry Christmas,” from his office in London. It took a few years to take off but by the early 2000s, SMS (Simple Messaging Service) had become a global standard.
In the early 2000s, MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) arrived, enabling users to send multimedia content. However, due to high costs, compatibility issues, and internet requirements, MMS struggled to achieve widespread acceptance and support has been discontinued in many countries.
In 2023 it was estimated that 65% of the global population - over 5 billion people - regularly send text messages. 23 billion SMS and MMS messages were sent/received daily, that’s over 16 million texts per minute!
The Long Road to RCS
In 2008 the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) started talking about the next iteration of messaging which would support some features more akin to your current smartphone than a Nokia 3210.
RCS (Rich Communication Services) was designed to replace SMS and MMS texting with a service more like your modern instant messaging app – but as part of your mobile carrier’s inbuilt standard messaging service.
While the GSMA (slowly) worked out the RCS specification, the mobile messaging landscape was changing dramatically. Messaging apps like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Viber, iMessage, began to crop up everywhere all vying for your attention.
The growing confusion around which friend or family member had which app, people started to yearn for the good ol’ days when messaging just happened all in one place – no apps necessary.
Fortunately, over the next few years the RCS adoption gained momentum:
- 2016 - Google's launches of RCS messaging on Android.
- 2019 - Major US carriers' commit to supporting RCS.
- 2023 - Apple's announces RCS support in iOS 18, to be released in late 2024.
By the end of 2024 it’s estimated that 60% of mobile subscribers will support RCS, with 1.2 billion RCS users.
The Future of RCS
The future of RCS looks promising. With Apple's integration of RCS into iMessage later this year we're moving towards a future where RCS becomes the standard across all networks and devices - potentially replacing SMS as the primary proactive communication method for many companies and industries. As support grows, more and more companies will choose RCS to communicate with their customers.
Conclusion
At ContactEngine we work with InfoBip to provide RCS conversations in our journeys. Compared to SMS, conversations over RCS have seen a 5% increase in response rates and consumers reply twice as quickly! With Apple finally joining the party, RCS is poised to explode as we provide richer conversations to the majority of consumers.
As someone who has personally navigated the challenges and rewards of this journey, I eagerly anticipate the future of RCS. I firmly believe that the branding, extra security, and richer content can significantly improve consumer engagement, making it a compelling choice for everyone.
References:
- Global Text Messaging In 2024: A Data-Driven Look At Usage, Preferences And The Future - ExpertBeacon
- A2P SMS, RCS & OTT: What's the Outlook for 2024? (juniperresearch.com)
- RCS Business Messaging: Rich, Branded, Conversational Experiences - Infobip
- Apple finally supports RCS in iOS 18 update | TechCrunch
