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In its mission to accelerate knowledge-sharing across the enterprise mobile messaging delivery value chain, MEF’s Future of Messaging Programme Participants have developed this A2P SMS Features Guide to allow stakeholders to have access to a set of common tools and language to support their understanding of the sector and their discussions about A2P SMS product features and requirements, including mobile network operators, enterprises, messaging providers, SMS aggregators and app developers.

The A2P SMS Features Guide identifies, describes and groups the MNO features which are essential to support a successful A2P SMS infrastructure and assigns them associated levels of compliance requirement to ensure solid coverage around the world and across different roles in A2P service suppliers.

These include:

  • Design Features: core product requirements and decisions which will be translated as platform or service features
  • Platform Features: core product functionalities, which establish the hardware and software components that an A2P SMS Product should deliver, to support client needs
  • Service Features: the underlying , fundamental components of an A2P SMS messaging solution which are made available to A2P SMS Clients, such as enterprises, app developers, other messaging providers, etc

MEF’s Future of Messaging Programme was established in October 2015 as a collaborative cross-ecosystem working group of participants, represented by senior executives from across commercial, operator relations, product and technical teams, to support and develop enterprise mobile messaging.

Regulatory and market shifts over the last ten years including new use cases driven by “Gig-Economy” start-ups coupled with the huge adoption rates of smartphones have elevated A2P SMS to a key position within MNO’s business strategy and an increasingly important source of revenue.

In order to seize the opportunity, the whole A2P SMS value chain must keep evolving – the A2P SMS Features Guide has been developed by the Future of Messaging Working Group as part of its mission to accelerate knowledge sharing across the value chain, and to facilitate product owners and experts in designing their own A2P solutions while providing visibility on required levels of investment needed to achieve a competitive platform.

The A2P Product Features within the guide include:

 Platform Features

  • Throughput
  • Latency
  • Redundancy
  • SMS Sending Capabilities
  • Alphanumeric / Alpha SenderID
  • SenderID Management
  • Encoding
  • Timestamps
  • Malicious content delivery protection
  • Delivery Reports (DLR)
  • Consumer-controlled delivery

Design Features

  • Reach
  • Regulatory Framework
  • Fraud Protection
  • Price Notification Period
  • Data Security
  • Integration Technology
  • Portability
  • Processing Capacity
  • Availability

Service Features

  • Client Support
  • Reporting
  • Payment methods

 Who is the guide for?

  • Mobile Network Operators (MNOs)

  • Messaging Providers

  • Enterprises

  • A2P API Providers

  • OTT App Providers

  • Brands

  • CTO Offices

  • Executive Sponsors of Enterprise/Bulk/A2P Messaging Businesses

  • A2P Messaging Business Unit Managers

  • A2P Messaging Product Managers

  • Network Planning or Engineering

  • A2P Client Communications Teams

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