RCS stands for Rich Communication Services. RCS is the new standard of messaging that will replace SMS text messaging and MMS.
RCS makes it fast and easy to send more information in a message. This means richer text features, higher-resolution images and videos, and much more.
How is RCS Different from Text Messaging?
The difference between RCS and SMS text messages is that RCS adds features that MMS and SMS text messages don’t have.
RCS turns text messaging into a more interactive, actionable, feature-rich conversational experience.
It brings the rich functionality offered in messaging apps like iMessage, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp directly to the native messaging app built into your phone.
How Does RCS Work?
RCS is part of what many carriers call the Advanced Messaging standard. It improves on text messaging functionality that comes with most phones by default.
Think of Rich Communication Services messaging as being similar to mobile apps like Facebook Messenger, iMessage, WeChat, and WhatsApp.
All of these apps have read receipts, typing indicators, and better ways to share media. RCS offers the same kind of advanced messaging functionality but at a larger scale.
The difference between RCS and other mobile messaging apps is that the software to support RCS comes built into your phone. It’s ready to go out of the box.
RCS works just like your native text messaging app.
With RCS, there’s no need to download other third-party apps. No need to set up user accounts, sign in, or invite other friends to connect.
However, to send and receive Rich Communications Services messages, everyone needs to be on the same compatible messaging app and network with RCS-enabled phones.
Currently, if you’re using a device that’s not on the RCS network, your messages will “fall back” and default to normal SMS or MMS.
When Was RCS Invented?
As a technology, SMS (short message service) has been around for over 25 years. Text messages are now a part of our day-to-day lives.
The big change in SMS happened in 2007 with the introduction of the iPhone.
Ironically, RCS also got its start in 2007. But it hasn’t experienced traction until recently.
Back in 2007, carrier weren’t on board, so RCS didn’t gain much traction. This changed once Google entered the space.
They wrangled all the carriers and in 2015 purchased an RCS platform called Jibe Mobile.
What came next was huge!
Now, the evolution in text messaging is underway.
The GSMA projects that 86% of all smartphones will support RCS by 2020. Furthermore, all of the big carriers will fully integrate RCS into their messaging by 2020.
This means that customers are going to start seeing the next generation of text messaging very soon.
Customers and businesses will gain more interactive, feature-rich opportunities to schedule appointments, pay bills, and much more.
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What Can You Do With RCS?
Millions of businesses already rely on SMS to communicate. They use text messaging for credit card fraud alerts, flight status updates, and package delivery notifications to customers.
Starting in 2020, RCS will start expanding our day-to-day text messaging capabilities.
Below are a list of current and expected RCS features that businesses will be able to utilize.
RCS Features:
| Add Branding and Business Verification: | Improve Customer Service and User Experience: | Make Messaging Richer and More Conversational: | Share Documents and Information: |
| – Custom color palettes – Branded logos and icons – Verified business addresses and senders | – Suggested action buttons – Quick button replies – Embedded rich cards – Location sharing – Maps integrations – Calendar and -Scheduling integrations – Invoicing and payment integrations | – Multi-device messaging, voice, and video – Read receipts – Typing indicators – 1-to-1 and group chat administration – High-definition images and video – QR Codes – Voice to text audio messaging – Digital assistant integrations | – File transfers – Verified sending – Live shared sketching sessions |
Which Carriers Support RCS?
On October 24th 2019, the big four carriers committing to wide-spread RCS implementation on all Android devices in 2020.
The carries named this joint venture the “Cross Carrier Messaging Initiative (CCMI)”.
However, the press release gives no specific timeline for full RCS support.
Until we get more details on this initiative, below is a description of what each carrier supports in terms of RCS and the Universal Profile.
In early 2020, it was estimated that RCS was available from 88 operators throughout 59 countries in the world. There are approximately 390 million users per month and the business is expected to be worth $71 billion by 2021.
Sources: https://messagedesk.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rich_Communication_Services#RCS_Business_Messaging
