RCS , or Rich Communication Services , is a novel IP-bas Messaging service that offers rich multimedia. Messaging features, similar to those found in various instant messaging chat applications. The difference is that RCS chat is independent of an application provider or developer; rather, it is provided by mobile network operators and the mobile operating system. The growth in the use of this technology worldwide has been considerable, with nearly 1.1 billion users by 2024. This has translated into approximately $15 billion in RCS enterprise messaging revenue, according to research by Juniper Research . RCS Chat communications are conducted person-to-person, using mobile devices that support the technology. It can also be done between applications and people. The purpose of these chats is to offer users more interactive and, of course, engaging communication experiences, taking advantage of the global reach of short message services.

The development of Rich Communication Services

Since the arrival of applications like WhatsApp, telephone operators have lost a  telegram data significant market share. Motivated by this, an alliance emerged between telephone companies and the giant Google for the development of Rich Communication Services.  Over the years, more and more features have been added to the messaging service, such as sending photos, videos, songs, voice notes, emojis, stickers, and more. All of this without the need to install third-party applications or register on websites; all that’s required is a phone number. Operators have invested heavily in this because they would once again have control over developing their own applications based on RCS technology, which would be compatible with each other.

Therefore, messages can be sent from one device to another without any problems and without users having to install a specific program on their phones. Another advantage of the service is that if an RCS message is sent to a number that doesn’t have a messaging app that supports it, the message will be transformed into an SMS. As expected, Google has already implemented RCS in its native messaging app , as part of its Android operating system. Microsoft has also begun rolling it out on Windows and Apple.

The technology behind RCS messages

Operators implement universal profiles linked to phone numbers, so users simply use their native messaging app and send messages as usual. Multimedia messages can be sent offline; when data coverage is available, the message will be sent automatically. RCS features depend heavily on the capabilities of the mobile phone’s native messaging app and the offerings of phone operators, but we can mention a few general ones: