Making the new communications wave a reality
Don’t get left behind
These are exciting times for the Rich Communications industry. Mobile operators all over the world are beginning to recognise the strategic benefits of rich communications. They see an opportunity to deliver more compelling communications services that will strengthen their relationships with their customers and to become more competitive as the mobile industry moves towards a new era of IP-based communications. Mobile operators are well placed to leverage the unique attributes: quality, reliability, security, ubiquity and interoperability as they begin to rollout rich communications services.
Key players already committed to launch
A number of mobile operators, including the five major mobile operator groups (Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telecom Italia, Telefonica and Vodafone) are gearing-up to launch rich communications services based on RCS-e in Europe and Asia. The first RCS-e launch will be in Spain towards the early 2012 (Orange, Telefonica and Vodafone), followed by Germany (Deutsche Telekom, Telefonica/O2 and Vodafone), Italy (Telecom Italia and Vodafone), France (Orange and SFR) and Korea (SKT, KT and LG U+) all of which will launch interoperable services during 2012. Other rich communications launches are planned for 2012 in Europe, North America and Asia.
A key element of the success of rich communications will be the interoperability of services – to ensure users can enjoy the benefits of rich communications with all of their family, friends and colleagues no matter what network they use. The GSMA is already helping to facilitate discussions between many operators in different markets regarding the establishment of interoperability and alignment of service launches – initially via in-country roundtable meetings. Once agreements are reached between operators, the GSMA and RCS Programme will provide support throughout the subsequent evaluation and planning phases leading up to and beyond commercial service launch.
Seize the opportunity
If you represent a mobile operator that has yet to fully embrace the implications of RCS, now is the time to start. Take a close look at the rich communications opportunity and identify the potentially radical changes it may mean for your business. Evaluate its potential to deliver new sources of value and position your organisation for the transition to all-IP networks.
If you are unsure where to begin, the GSMA and the RCS Programme team are ready to provide support for your evaluation of the market opportunity and the technical realisation of RCS and RCS-e specifications.
A great place to start is to download the RCS Evaluation Pack, which contains relevant information about the RCS Programme, the rich communications value proposition and business case, technical specifications and implementation options. It also gives guidance on where to find additional information and support. To learn more about how the GSMA can help your organisation bring rich communications to market, please contact Attilio Zani.
