iconectiv Takes on Verification Authority Role for GSMA’s Rich Business Messaging Initiative

BRIDGEWATER, N.J. – June 4, 2020 –Rich Communication Services (RCS) Business Messaging, based on the GSMA Rich Communication Services (RCS) standard, provides brands with the opportunity to increase their engagement with customers by making use of feature-rich, mobile messaging using chatbots and artificial intelligence (AI). To meet this consumer demand and protect consumers in the process, the GSMA, iconectiv and key industry partners are proactively working to prevent RCS-targeted fraud.

As part of that initiative, iconectiv is one of the first Verification Authorities to support the Rich Business Messaging ecosystem to manage trust at scale through its TruReach Intel solution. TruReach Intel provides data to manage brand identities and the channels they choose to engage consumers—whether it be voice, text or data. TruReach Intel has incorporated the requirements for the RCS Verification Authority which is a neutral, trusted component of the Rich Business Messaging ecosystem.

Today, there are more than 390 million monthly active RCS users around the world which the GSMA predicts will have an economic value of $74 billion by 2021. To protect the integrity of the business messaging channel, RCS stakeholders are coming together to define and deliver operational and commercial solutions that will help increase adoption and safeguard consumers at the time.

Upgrading SMS on a global scale, Rich Business Messaging provides businesses with the opportunity to increase their engagement with customers by making use of feature-rich mobile messaging. For RCS to deliver on its promise, however, service providers and businesses are tasked with providing consumers the information they need to ensure the authenticity of the Rich Business Messaging engagement—chatbots, videos, conversations—they represent.

“The industry has an opportunity to protect consumers and foster meaningful engagement by facilitating authentication and establishing trust with Rich Business Messaging from the start,” says Richard Jacowleff, President and CEO, iconectiv. “Considering the persistent, growing fraud problem with scammers, who look for any opportunity to deceive consumers and businesses, collaboration is critical in preventing the emergence of new forms of spam and fraud within the Rich Business Messaging ecosystem.”

“Our role with the GSMA’s RCS ecosystem program and its new sender verification initiative is to help verify the authenticity of businesses that engage with consumers, which in turn will bolster trust while ushering in the next evolution of business texting and conversational commerce,” Jacowleff added.

Hundreds of businesses are already bringing RCS Rich Business Messaging to life as digital commerce evolves to become even more convenient and compelling. Without having to download multiple apps, customers can gain direct access to businesses from within a phone’s native messaging app, radically simplifying how consumers engage with businesses—whether it be to book flights, buy clothes, make reservations, etc.

For more information, visit the GSMA website and iconectiv TruReach Intel page.

Interested in learning more?

iconectiv has released a market brief entitled, Achieving Trusted Consumer Engagement, to help businesses and service providers understand the critical role that verification will have in the RCS ecosystem. The market brief explains how the early incorporation of a verification capability will help ensure that RCS Business Messaging is a trusted communication channel.