Twilio finds RCS adoption rising among mobile industry pros

New research from Twilio reveals that nearly half of mobile industry professionals surveyed have already adopted Rich Communication Services (RCS), a next-generation messaging platform designed to build on the traditional SMS format.

The findings indicate that among those who have implemented RCS, a significant 60% report it having an 'overwhelmingly positive' impact on their customer communications.

Key benefits identified include a better user experience, improved media sharing capabilities, and increased trust through the use of verified sender information. These advantages are resulting in what Twilio describes as a richer and more credible form of customer communication.

RCS, which supports features like branded profiles and verified sender badges, addresses common customer concerns about the authenticity of messages. It also enhances user engagement through multimedia content such as images, videos, and personalised branding.

The survey conducted by Twilio at the Mobile World Congress 2025 highlights several positive outcomes that respondents attribute to RCS.

These include increased security (37%), streamlined communications with customers (25%), fostering more engaging relationships (17%), driving high return on investment (11%), and deepening trust with customers (10%).

Despite the benefits, 56% of respondents have not yet implemented RCS. However, the trend seems to be shifting, as 71% of the surveyed professionals expect to adopt RCS in the coming 12 months.

This growing inclination underscores the increasing confidence and demand for RCS, with 14% indicating they would implement it for all interactions, 20% for most interactions, and 37% for selected interactions.

One notable barrier to widespread RCS adoption is a lack of organisational knowledge, which affects nearly 30% of respondents' companies. This suggests a need for better educational resources about RCS applications, benefits, and integration with existing systems.

Matt McCormack, Director, ANZ Communications Business at Twilio, commented: "While SMS remains popular among Australians, brands increasingly recognise the need for a more sophisticated solution that will allow them to communicate with customers in a useful, personalised and engaging way. RCS, soon to become available here, is set to revolutionise how brands interact with customers and drive greater engagement, conversion, and brand loyalty."

RCS provides various applications for customer communications, including customer support, personalised marketing offers, promotional campaigns, appointment scheduling, feedback surveys, and order updates. The service enhances the user experience with features such as high-quality images and videos, longer message capacities, and interactive elements like buttons and carousels.

Security and trust are also improved with RCS, as the service offers branded messaging, verified sender IDs, and encryption. This is complemented by improved deliverability, as RCS messages can be sent over any internet connection, reducing the likelihood of missed deliveries.

RCS's reach is broad, as users do not need to download a new app to receive these messages. For devices that do not support RCS, messages fall back to being sent as SMS.

Additionally, RCS provides businesses with detailed analytics, ensuring they can track and evaluate their communication strategies effectively.

The survey, based on responses from 641 international industry professionals who attended the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, was conducted from 3rd to 6th March 2025.