April 2025 | Globe Teleservice

Building Trust and Experiences with RCS

Rich Communication Services (RCS) is revolutionizing the way brands engage with customers—merging the reliability of SMS with the interactivity of modern messaging apps. The latest update, GSMA’s RCS Universal Profile 3.0, strengthens this evolution with a focus on security, scalability, and seamless experiences.

At its core, this upgrade enhances end-to-end encryption (E2EE), protecting messages, media, and user content from unauthorized access. It also introduces advanced chatbot features, such as deep links, clipboard actions, and subscription management, ensuring smarter and more flexible conversations between brands and users.

With 1.1 billion active users globally in 2024, up from 930 million in 2023, RCS is gaining rapid traction as a future-ready and scalable interactive messaging channel for businesses across sectors.

Key Features That Make RCS a Game-Changer:

End-to-End Encryption (E2EE): RCS ensures complete message privacy by encrypting all messages, files, and user content, offering businesses and customers peace of mind against data breaches.
Smarter Chatbot Interactions: With the addition of deep links, clipboard actions, and subscription controls, RCS chatbots can now provide more meaningful and personalized conversations that drive better engagement.
Spam Protection & Enhanced Security: Improved spam detection and filtering mechanisms help reduce fraudulent messages, protecting users and preserving the integrity of business communications.
User-Centric Design: The latest update offers a simplified, intuitive interface while giving users more control over their privacy settings, creating a more transparent and secure experience.
Cross-Platform Interoperability: RCS Universal Profile 3.0 ensures that messages are consistently delivered and experienced across various devices, networks, and regions—eliminating fragmentation.
Web View Integration: Businesses can now embed web content directly into RCS messages, allowing customers to view and interact with web pages within the app—offering smoother journeys without switching contexts.
Google Wallet Integration: Through RCS Business Messaging, users can seamlessly receive and store boarding passes, event tickets, or loyalty cards directly in Google Wallet from within their messaging app.
Calendar Sync: Users can add events, appointments, or webinar reminders straight from RCS messages into their device’s native calendar, reducing friction and boosting attendance.
In-Message Payments (via Google Pay): RCS supports secure, in-chat transactions that enable users to complete purchases without redirection, resulting in higher conversion rates and seamless shopping experiences.

The future of messaging is here.

RCS is not just a channel—it’s a powerful customer experience tool. By offering secure, interactive, and rich messaging capabilities, it empowers businesses to build trust, drive engagement, and improve conversion rates like never before.

From financial services and travel to retail and healthcare, reshape your communication strategies with our secure and verified RCS solution—designed to deliver experiences your customers can trust.

Strengthening SMS Networks Against Modern Threats

Telecom networks today face an escalating threat from a growing underground model known as Fraud-as-a-Service (FaaS). It allows fraudsters to offer ready-made fraud kits, enabling scammers to exploit SMS networks for malicious purposes. The financial toll of these scams is staggering, with telecom operators, enterprises, and end-users all suffering the consequences.

The Rise of FaaS in SMS Fraud

Fraud-as-a-Service is fueling a global surge in SMS scams, hitting telecom operators with major financial and reputational damage.

FaaS and Its Impact on the SMS Network

FaaS works by enabling fraudsters to manipulate SMS traffic through various illicit methods, including:

Grey Routes & SMS Bypass Fraud: Fraudsters use unlicensed routes to bypass legitimate networks, leading to lost revenue for telecom operators and degraded service for customers.
SIM Farms: Criminals use large-scale SIM card farms to send out fraudulent messages in bulk, which are often used for scams or spam.
SMS Phishing (Smishing): Scammers use fraudulent SMS messages to trick users into sharing sensitive information, leading to identity theft or financial losses.
SMS Pumping Fraud: This technique involves tricking users into unknowingly sending premium-rate messages, adding charges to their phone bills.
Flash Calls vs. SMS OTP Fraud: Fraudsters use flash calls (calls that disconnect immediately) to verify accounts, bypassing SMS OTP (One-Time Password) authentication systems, leading to unauthorized access to accounts.

How Telecom Companies Are Fighting Back

To combat this growing threat, telecom companies are adopting advanced technologies and strategies:

AI-driven fraud detection: By analyzing SMS patterns in real-time, telecom companies can identify and block suspicious activity before it causes harm.
Next-gen firewalls & traffic filtering: Telecom companies can use firewalls and traffic filters to block grey routes and prevent unauthorized access to their networks.
Regulatory compliance & stricter authentication: Telecom operators must adhere to regulatory guidelines and implement stronger authentication methods to ensure secure SMS exchanges.
Cross-industry collaboration: Telecom companies must work together with other industry players against FaaS networks, sharing intelligence and tools to combat telecom frauds.

Fraud-as-a-Service is a growing threat to telecom networks, operators, and consumers. According to the Mobile Ecosystem Forum (MEF), 39% of consumers across ten surveyed countries encountered at least one SMS scam attempt in the past year. By understanding the mechanics of SMS scams and adopting next-gen AI-powered fraud management like Armour, telecom companies can protect their revenue, reputation, and customer trust.

Talk Their Talk: Personalizing Communication with CPaaS

When it comes to winning customer loyalty, one size definitely doesn’t fit all—especially when communicating across generations. This is where Communication Platform as a Service (CPaaS) helps brands bridge the gap, delivering personalized, seamless experiences whether you’re engaging with Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, or Baby Boomers.

Understanding What Clicks with Each Generation

Let’s get to decoding how each generation engages with their favorite brand – and how CPaaS is making it all happen.

Gen Z (Born 1997–2012):
Instant gratification is key! They love texting, social media DMs (especially Instagram and Snapchat), and AI-powered chatbots. With nearly 75% of Gen Z showing interest in AI during their shopping journey in 2024, brands can win big by using CPaaS features like AI-driven chatbots and WhatsApp messaging for lightning-fast, personalized interactions.

Millennials (Born 1981–1996):
Flexible and tech-savvy, Millennials toggle between SMS, app-based messaging, social media, and email. CPaaS helps brands target them by integrating SMS promotions, loyalty program notifications via apps, and live chat support for that instant yet human touch.

Gen X (Born 1965–1980):
Think email, SMS, and voice calls – Gen X values professionalism and convenience. CPaaS platforms let businesses automate appointment reminders through SMS and offer quick query resolution over email or calls, striking the right balance between formal and fast.

Baby Boomers (Born 1946–1964):
Boomers still favor traditional communication methods like voice calls, email, and simple SMS. CPaaS solutions ensure businesses can offer click-to-call options, clear email updates, and personalized SMS reminders, keeping the experience warm, human, and easy to navigate.

With our next-gen solution – CPaaS+, engage with customers on their preferred channels, enhancing their experience and building loyalty through:

Omnichannel Integration: Switch between SMS, WhatsApp, voice, video, or email – effortlessly matching the user’s preferred mode.
AI & Chatbots: Offer instant AI-based responses for younger generations, with seamless handoffs to human agents for older demographics.
Personalization & Data Insights: Use real-time analytics to send targeted campaigns, recommendations, and service updates tailored to each user.
Security & Compliance: No matter the generation, privacy matters. CPaaS ensures secure, compliant communication, vital for industries like finance and healthcare.

As brands in the evolving digital era, it’s crucial to switch tones, channels, and styles depending on your audience. With CPaaS+, create meaningful, future-ready connections across all age groups.