More and more companies are now looking for sleeker, more unified ways to communicate both internally and externally while taking advantage of all the different ways technology now allows us to keep in touch. A rich communications suite (RCS) is one way to tie all of those forms of communication together in a neat package, streamlining the work environment for any business.
This increasing demand for RCS is one reason why BICS, a global provider of wholesale carrier services, has found that the technology will continue to gain market momentum through 2015. Based on the results of a recent survey of senior executives at mobile operators, BICS discusses the key challenges in delivering RCS to provide a fast response to the ever-growing number of end-users using OTT applications for messaging services.
The survey found 68 percent of those executives surveyed had either already launched or plan to launch RCS initiatives by the end of 2015. The top challenge faced when trying to launch RCS—according to 43 percent of respondents—was figuring out how to monetize the service and ensure return on investment. Incorporating video calling, multimedia file transfer and group chat services was the second most important challenge, noted by 20 percent of respondents.
"The results of the BICS RCS survey show there is a strong ambition from mobile operators to leverage the full potential of RCS to bring next generation services to market,” said Divya Ghai Wakankar, senior product manager for voice at BICS. “The success of OTT applications proves there is a huge demand from consumers toward more engaging methods of communication. By deploying RCS, mobile operators can get creative with their offerings, while utilizing their unique position as trusted operators to drive adoption with extended reach across geographical boundaries. By adopting hubbing and hosted models, operators can overcome major challenges and bring RCS services to market quickly and cost-efficiently, ensuring full interoperability and increasing their ability to challenge OTT players' dominant position in this enhanced communications market."
Communicating with customers has evolved from simple call center services to a multichannel experience, with Web chat and screen sharing services becoming increasingly popular. Fifty-nine percent of those surveyed value RCS most in terms of consumer services, while another 30 percent see its main potential in providing messaging services to a range of other devices.
Edited by Rory J. Thompson