Global telecommunication giants have highlighted the impact of RCS Business Messaging (RBM) in improving customer engagement and driving growth in Nigeria’s digital economy.
The telco companies came together in a round table in Lagos, Nigeria where they highlighted the benefits of the messaging app in sending rich and interactive messages, which has also reflected on the digital economy and how businesses relate with their customers.
The RCS Business Messaging, which is an acronym for Rich Communication Services is an upgrade to the SMS that supports sharing of rich data such as pictures, audio, videos, GIFs. The app was perfected by Dotgo a partner and member of Google and Mobile Ecosystem Forum (MEF) respectively.
According to Dotgo, Nigerian businesses can use RCS Business Messaging (RBM) to reach more consumers and improve customer experience, leading to increased ROI. Using RBM, brands can send rich and interactive messages. These can include images, GIFs, videos, carousels, suggested replies, and suggested actions.
All these are delivered to customers from a verified sender id with a trust mark, improving trust and convenience in the process. Popular suggested actions include opening a website, dialing a number, viewing, or sharing a location, and adding events to the phone’s calendar.
On how the app works, users do not have to download another application as the RSC leverages on Google’s Messages app, which is the default SMS app on android devices, and offers end-to-end encryption for advanced security.
Notably, RCS is the default messaging standard for 5G networks, though it continues to support 3G and 4G networks.
What they are saying
According to Lynda Saint-Nwafor, Chief Enterprise Business Officer, MTN Nigeria, businesses rely on this innovation to drive better interaction with their consumers. “Consumers want brands to be accessible anytime, anywhere – and businesses constantly look for new and innovative ways to enable this. Many of our enterprise customers in Nigeria are betting on RCS as a viable way to drive secure, contextual, and personalized consumer conversations at scale”, she said.
“Enterprises are increasingly turning to chat and messaging platforms to strengthen consumer relationships and engagement. Several of our enterprise customers are in the process of deploying RCS to consistently deliver a richer, more tailored, and interactive experience to thousands of consumers”, said Ogo Ofomata, Director, Airtel Business, Nigeria.
Dario Betti, the CEO, Mobile Ecosystem Forum (MEF) said, “RCS is a big thing when it comes to rich communication and A2P messaging: it will redesign use cases, security, and models. We at MEF believe that it holds the potential to transform how enterprises engage with their consumers, helping them leverage Rich Business Messaging (RBM) to make it truly immersive at every level.”
Meanwhile, Ngozi Madueke-Dozie, Android Partnerships Lead, West Africa, for Google noted that the adoption of RCS business messaging app is growing at a rapid pace due to the need for rich and interactive messaging between businesses and consumers.
“The adoption of RCS business messaging continues to grow rapidly. Brands across the world now want to deliver rich and interactive messages including images, GIFs, videos, carousels, and more to their consumers – Messages + RCS makes this possible”, she said.
“RBM enables brands to offer a next-gen customer experience with greater interactivity, improved trust, and advanced security”, said the EVP Telecom Business, Gupshup, and CEO of Dotgo, Dr. Inderpal Singh Mumick. “We are excited to help Nigerian brands reimagine business-to-consumer communication and deliver richer, two-way conversational experiences to millions of subscribers.”
