Google would like to replace the SMS with the RCS

Google would like to replace the SMS with the RCS

The Rich Communication Services or RCS is an evolution of the good old SMS supposed to bring more rich functionalities directly inspired by the instant messengers appeared during the last 10 years. This communication protocol initiated by the telephone operators almost ten years ago could finally prevail by the will of Google.

Born in the early 1990s with the rise of mobile telephony, SMS is still an essential communication tool even if it has hardly evolved outside its more multimedia version that is the MMS. Although it is still at the heart of many exchanges (more than 202 billion SMS issued in France in 2016, according to Arcep), including the famous SMS New Year's Eve, this format rather arid (160 characters maximum) has seen its hegemony defeated by instant messengers.

Popularized by smartphones and very popular with younger generations, the WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Telegram and other iMessage applications are much more versatile and user-friendly, with the ability to easily share content (videos, images, sounds ...). Faced with this competition that threatens their stranglehold on a key use, almost ten years ago, mobile operators joined in the GSM Association (GSMA) decided to push a new protocol called Rich Communication Services ( RCS), also referred to as Joyn.

The RCS client for Android © Google

Technically, the RCS is based on the IP protocol. It operates over the Internet in 4G while SMS are exchanged via the GSM network operators. The RCS allows you to:

• conduct written conversations (chat) between two users or in groups,
• share files of any type,
• make voice or video IP calls.

In addition, the system offers read receipts, a response indicator and statistics (time of reading, opening of content, etc.). To work, the RCS needs two compatible mobiles otherwise the message will be converted to SMS.

The RCS protocol built into Android

The other strength of the RCS is its native integration on smartphones to replace the SMS application. Despite this, its adoption has so far not taken off. But things are changing because since the end of 2015, Google has put all its weight in the balance in favor of the SCR. The Californian giant supports the protocol that he decided to integrate into his Android mobile operating system via his Android Messages application.

To facilitate the adoption of the RCS, Google has implemented a cloud computing platform called Jibe through which operators can manage its deployment. At the last Mobile World Congress, 27 of them committed behind the Internet giant by preinstalling Android Message on mobile devices they market. In total, the RCS is now supported by 47 operators , 11 smartphone manufacturers (including HTC, Huawei, LG, Nokia, Sony and Samsung), as well as Microsoft.

Android is currently the most widespread mobile operating system (more than 63% usage shares, source: Netmarketshare), the end of the SMS decreed by Google seems rather inevitable. In the end, the web giant is about to grab a stranglehold on the RCS while the SMS was under the thumb of any company in particular. The question is how Google will look to take advantage of this advantage.