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The Future of Business Messaging Is Richer Than Ever: Why RCS Matters Now
As the messaging landscape rapidly evolves, Rich Communication Services (RCS) is emerging as a game-changer—especially in the United States. In a recent SignalWire LIVEWire webinar, Product Marketing Manager Chelsea Botki and Director of Operations Steve Star unpacked what RCS really is, why it's gaining traction now, and how businesses can start planning for a future with richer, more interactive messaging.
What Is RCS and Why Should You Care?
RCS (Rich Communication Services) is the next generation of messaging. Unlike SMS or MMS, RCS supports verified business senders, high-quality images and video, carousels, quick replies, and even read receipts and typing indicators—all from within the native messaging app users already know and use.
While RCS has been around in concept since 2008, adoption was slow until Google embraced it in 2019. Now, with Apple rolling out RCS support in iOS 18 and broader carrier buy-in expected by early 2025, the US market is poised for a major shift.
RBM: Rich Messaging for Businesses
RCS Business Messaging (RBM) takes the benefits of RCS and applies them to brand-to-consumer communication. With RBM, businesses can:
Send messages from a verified brand identity (not just a phone number)
Share high-quality media, documents, or location info
Offer quick replies and CTAs within the message
Provide appointment confirmations, account alerts, and even payments—without leaving the chat
Why Now?
With mobile operators like Verizon and T-Mobile rolling out support, and Apple introducing RBM support in iOS 18.1, the momentum is finally real. As Chelsea noted in the webinar, "Businesses that aren’t preparing for RCS risk being left behind."
Plus, customers are already showing strong interest. Nearly 80% of consumers say RCS makes them more likely to engage with a brand. Combine that with click-through rates up to 7x higher than SMS, and the value proposition becomes hard to ignore.
What Can You Do Today?
While full support across devices and networks is still a few months away, businesses can start taking key steps now:
Register your RCS agent – SignalWire can guide you through this approval process, which involves Google, aggregators, and mobile operators.
Plan your use cases – Whether it’s marketing, customer service, or appointment reminders, now’s the time to rethink your messaging strategy around rich content and better interactions.
Join the SignalWire interest list – Stay updated on rollout timelines, beta programs, and tools to help you build and scale RCS experiences.
What is RCS messaging?
Rich Communication Services (RCS) is the next generation of mobile messaging, designed to replace SMS and MMS. It supports high-quality images and video, verified sender identities, read receipts, typing indicators, and interactive elements like carousels and quick replies, all within the phone's native messaging app.
What is RCS Business Messaging (RBM)?
RCS Business Messaging (RBM) applies RCS capabilities to brand-to-consumer communication. It lets businesses message customers from a verified brand identity instead of a phone number, share rich media and documents, offer quick replies and CTAs, and handle actions like appointment confirmations and payments without the customer leaving the chat.
Is RCS replacing SMS?
RCS is positioned as the successor to SMS, but the transition is gradual. Businesses should adopt RCS where supported while keeping SMS and MMS as fallback channels for devices and networks that don't yet support it.
Does iPhone support RCS?
Yes. Apple added RCS support starting with iOS 18, with RCS Business Messaging support arriving in iOS 18.1. Combined with existing Android support, this brings RCS to the large majority of smartphones in the US.
Is RCS more effective than SMS for customer engagement?
Yes. Nearly 80% of consumers say RCS makes them more likely to engage with a brand, and RCS campaigns can achieve click-through rates up to 7x higher than SMS thanks to rich media, interactivity, and verified sender trust.
ow do businesses start sending RCS messages?
Businesses must first register an RCS agent, an approval process involving Google, aggregators, and mobile operators. From there, they can define use cases like marketing, customer service, or appointment reminders. SignalWire guides businesses through registration and campaign planning.
Which industries benefit most from RCS?
Retail, finance, and healthcare are early leaders. Retailers use RCS for in-chat purchases and product carousels, financial institutions use it for secure verified messaging and account alerts, and healthcare providers use it for appointment scheduling and reminders.
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