| | JUNE 20189CIOReviewRCS offers a rich experience for business-to-consumer engagement with capabilities are like those of an app but with the simplicity and convenience of SMS messagingThere are several reasons enterprises will likely find RCS very appealing and CIOs need to be prepared. There is the real possibility that RCS will replace many of the brand apps that go largely unused yet still proliferate on consumer devices. The ability to use AI-driven chatbots with RCS could provide a bigger opportunity to develop a truly rich experience without having to spend money on additional personnel and customer care to drive conversion and revenue. Ultimately, RCS will provide a compelling way for businesses to engage their audiences while allowing them to cut costs, drive revenues, and increase retention.While the value to enterprises is significant, there are still several issues CIOs need to consider as part of any brand's RCS implementation, including:· Fraud AvoidanceBrand integrity will be critical to maintaining customer satisfaction and an unimpeded adoption of RCS. As such, these great RCS capabilities will need to be presented securely. Like business-to-person text messaging, brands connecting into this community need to be clearly and uniquely identified to end users, verified that they are who they claim to be and be insulated from impersonation. Otherwise consumers may be duped into making payments to impostors, subjected to offensive content or their identity data may be exploited, along with various possible risks to personal safety. · User ConsentParticipation in this form of consumer engagement is dependent on the highest level of business integrity. Just like voice and SMS brand messaging, RCS will require consent by end users, which is a focus of regulatory bodies concerned with consumer engagement via telecommunications. For example, the FCC's Telephone Consumer Protection Act outlines how companies must have permission not just to send marketing messages to a mobile number but also to have explicit consent to contact the owner of that number. It also requires easy user opt out.· Customer ExperienceAs brands build out engagement tools using RCS they will need to understand consumer capabilities and preferences in order to provide the best user experience. They will even need to consider whether a communication is best suited to the various features of RCS or if a simple SMS will suffice. They also need to consider the fact that some consumers do not have a device or operation system that provides access to RCS-based technology. It is also possible that not all users in the chat would welcome the same degree of data consumption. Enterprises will need to be able to personalize the use of RCS features and even default back to SMS where solutions such as Short Codes ­ secure 5- and 6-digit numbers for brand engagement - can be utilized.As RCS continues to rollout, we should see these considerations take shape with enterprises deciding how they will use the technology. Given the major players involved and the potential for significant ROI, the industry and participating brands need to be attentive to these issues. Otherwise, brands risk alienating end users and will miss out on the increased revenues and retention that can result from this rich engagement experience.
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