At the upcoming half-day UK RCS Workshop hosted by Mobilesquared in partnership with MEF, a collective of experts including leading mobile vendors will deliver a comprehensive 360 degree enterprise view of the UK RCS opportunity. Here, Mobilesquared’s Chief Analyst Nick Lane looks ahead to the discussion, and shares some of their research and insight into the RCS proposition.
So Vodafone is the first mobile operator in the UK to launch RCS. As for Three and Telefonica, they are looking at RCS, but rollout plans have not been forthcoming. Regarding EE, with its proportionately high penetration of iPhone users among its subscriber base, it is likely to go with Apple Business Chat (ABC) first — which could launch as soon as October 2018 — and sign up to RCS at a later date.
For now, as an industry, we should not become fixated on the fact RCS in the UK is effectively marketing to just Vodafone customers; which inevitably will happen. We need to look at the big picture, when three, possibly four operators have launched RCS, and the opportunity that it presents brands and enterprises to engage and interact with their customers.
All the hard work of the GSMA and every company involved in developing the specifications and associated business models is now starting to come to fruition. These on-going discussions need to remain in behind-closed-door RCS events where industry can continue to talk to industry. But now is also the time to take the commercial RCS proposition into the open, and educate brands and enterprises on why they need to consider adopting RCS.
Now is the time to take the commercial RCS proposition into the open, and educate brands and enterprises on why they need to consider adopting RCS.”
It’s taken messaging a long time to become a permanent fixture in omnichannel marketing plans of brands and enterprises, but consumer demand for information and promotions, has forced their hand.
In the UK, Mobilesquared research reveals that more than 42 million people throughout the UK have opted-in to receive communications from brands and enterprises direct to their mobile. Folks are now more comfortable providing their mobile number as part of a value exchange.
What our research has also revealed is that 53% of opt-ins (or 22.3 million people) have actively responded positively to a message – and here, positive means that the recipient has opened the message and actioned the information in one way or another. So add the richness of RCS into the mix, and you could have a winning formula.
But RCS isn’t a given, brands have choice — and there are already ready-made alternative platforms. WhatsApp is the obvious rival to RCS, with alternatives on the horizon, such as ABC.
And that’s why Mobilesquared has put together a half-day Workshop, for the key players in the RCS ecosystem to provide brands and enterprises with all the information they need to know on how and why they should look to develop a messaging strategy, and explore the potential of RCS.
On the day, Mobilesquared will share exclusive RCS market data, providing brands and enterprises with all the UK market data they need to start developing an internal business case. The MEF will host a panel covering everything brands and enterprises need to know about RCS, ranging from the likes of pricing and usage, to fraud protection and consumer journeys.
In a nutshell, the UK RCS workshop will cover everything you need to know about RCS in 4 hours. Delegates will leave with a full understanding of what RCS can deliver.
Attend the UK RCS Workshop – October 18th, London
Mobilesquared has partnered with the Mobile Ecosystem Forum, the IAB, and leading mobile vendors who work with some of the biggest brands in messaging and RCS, to bring together expertise and commercial insight from across the mobile ecosystem, and deliver a comprehensive 360 degree enterprise view of the UK RCS opportunity.
The UK RCS Workshop will take place at the IAB Training & Events Space, London, 1.30pm – 5.30pm on the 18th October, and is free to attend for MEF members.
Find out more – Register now
