PHILIPPINE MOBILE network operators (MNOs) should consider the adoption of the rich communication services (RCS) standard to provide Filipinos with upgraded and secure messaging options, global cloud communications platform Infobip said.
“I really hope the Philippines will be in the radar because this is a very engaged market when it comes to communications and all activities that are related to the handset or devices,” Infobip Sales Director Cecile Perez Tizon told BusinessWorld in an interview last week.
RCS messaging is not yet adopted in the Philippines as this will depend on MNOs, Ms. Tizon said.
“To my knowledge, we’re targeting 2026, but this will be dependent on the interest and the collaboration of the telecom companies.”
Countries that are now actively using the RCS standard include Singapore, the United States, Belgium, France, Germany, Spain, and Canada.
RCS is an upgraded messaging protocol that has advanced features such as sending high-quality files and images directly into one’s SMS (short message service) inbox.
It addresses the limitations of SMS and MMS (multimedia messaging service) and allows communication via direct or group messaging. This will be managed by MNOs.
Other features of RCS include multimedia messaging, identifying read receipts and typing, group chats, location sharing, and business messaging.
For businesses, rich messaging can help them provide better support to their customers, streamline bookings, deliver personalized offers, and send timely updates, Infobip said.
Rich messaging is also expected to be a critical marketing and support tool to improve customer experience (CX), it said.
Meanwhile, other CX trends that the company expects to be key themes for businesses this year include the need for security in conversational artificial intelligence (AI), human-augmented AI practices, and AI agents in customer services, Ms. Tizon said.
At least of 86% of all generations of expect targeted and relevant communications, Infobip said in its Generational Messaging Trends Report. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz