With the global A2P SMS market set to grow by 4.4% per annum by 2025, strong growth in the enterprise messaging sector is expected. The global A2P SMS market is projected to be worth US $83.03 billion by the end of 2024 as compared to US $57.27 billion in 2015. The three values of enterprise messaging system – enhance customer engagement, improve brand loyalty and increase business revenues, have driven the immense growth in the enterprise messaging market since the last few years.
If you see the device trend for mobile connections, there are two segments- smart-phones and feature-phones. The share of smart-phones and feature-phones is 55% and 42% respectively of the total connections. This indicates a large opportunity for telecom operators to monetize their enterprise messaging solutions. Operators in-fact have identified this very-well leading to the rise in the enterprise messaging today.
Factors leading to the rise of enterprise messaging
- Enhanced customer experience
Enterprise messaging system has enhanced the customer experience totally. Since these solutions come with cloud environments or managed services, they have enabled the telecom operators to enrich the user experience and improve productivity.
- Boosting the A2P monetization opportunity
Enterprise messaging solutions have opened arrays of A2P services for the MNOs and has led to the generation of additional revenues with lesser cost.
- A secure messaging solution
It has offered security with respect to message delivery options and connections, ensuring delivery of sensitive information and files to smart-phones or feature-phones with highest security.
- Smart analytics & reporting
The smart analytics & reporting feature of the enterprise messaging system has enabled the MNOs to get the detailed visibility into service usage and delivery reports. The reports are of advanced graphical views that help to check the health of the executed campaign. It has enabled the operators to wisely learn about the customers, their likes and effectiveness of the campaigns.
- Enabling a controlled environment
These solutions have provided complete control to the MNOs such that they can control all user access through ‘Role Based Access Control’ mechanisms. This feature has widely benefited the operators by enabling them to get a controlled access to view reports, message details and manage marketing campaigns. Providing a high level of control to an enterprise is the major factor leading to the growth of enterprise messaging.
- Global Reach
The enterprise messaging system comes with vernacular support to serve global markets very effectively. Having a global reach in the Middle East, Africa, APAC and Latin America has led to its rise in the current market scenario.
Real-life Applications of Enterprise Messaging
- Many telecommunications companies have achieved breakthrough in-memory speed for processing, analyzing and manipulating their data by using enterprise messaging solutions.
- One of the instant messaging app has now revolutionized itself by building a unique social community for its users across the globe. By deploying enterprise messaging solutions, it has made possible connections among people, between users and vendors, and between users and organizations. Its in-app purchase function has enabled brands to do better-targeted campaigns and one-on-one customer interactions via the messaging and chatbot channels.
- A leading telecom company who was looking for a way to upgrade its offering for key banking clients, and introduce new services for their larger enterprise clients has reaped greater benefits by deploying enterprise messaging solution. The company brought its clients a significantly wider service portfolio and this enabled an efficient A2P SMS monetization through tools, resources, support, upgrades and maintenance. The telecom company has now successfully closed a series of enterprise deals.
How enterprise messaging is used in Telecommunications?
- Campaign management
Telecom operators are known to widely use the campaign manager, a cloud-based solution of the enterprise messaging system, to create and launch highly engaging, integrated marketing campaigns. Thus, enterprise messaging is significantly used in creating customer-centric campaign management.
- A2P messaging platform
Enterprise messaging systems is used by MNO’s to have a flexible cloud-based A2P service. This service equips them with an exceptionally robust set of text messaging capabilities, allowing for instant and secure communications. It is used by telecom operators to offer turnkey mobile messaging to enterprises in the rapidly expanding A2P messaging market.
- Multimedia messaging
Multimedia messaging is another application of enterprise messaging system which is deployed by the MNOs to make an impact on customers and partners using a diverse range of rich media content.
- Push notifications
Another significant use of enterprise messaging, push notifications, is used by MNOs to reach iOS and Android devices over IP.
- Location-aware messaging
Telecom operators have powered this service to leverage the location of customers and employees for more impactful mobile messaging campaigns.
The future of enterprise messaging
- Collaboration of A2P messaging
MNOs can collaborate SMS with other enabling technologies such as Wi-Fi, GPS, apps, QR codes, and social networks to create a comprehensive consumer service strategy.
- Monetizing USSD Solutions
There is still a large segment of mobile population using feature phone devices (See figure 1). That means USSD will have to remain relevant if telcos wish to keep their operational costs low.
Traditional calls and SMS have been the cash cow for years and telecom operators have always used USSD as a self-service tool for customers. However, USSD has more potential in emerging economies where feature phones are still rampant. For example, enabling banking and payment services for feature phone users.
- Enterprise partnership
Telecoms and specialized messaging providers can go a long way if they unite their key strengths to shape and market the robust A2P SMS technology to large enterprises. It has been already implemented now, but large-scale implementation is necessary in the future years to come.
- Plugging the gap in the current business communication domain.
There is an opportunity for telecom operators to offer a comprehensive service which offers all streams of business communication. Such a service can leverage A2P SMS for scheduling, HR, notification functions etc.
- Increasing the security parameter
The potential for exploits and malware attacks is on the increase with the growing interconnection of devices. The future of enterprise messaging will focus more on reliably recognizing and securely communicating the networked devices one step ahead than the current scenario. It will offer more comprehensive encryption and authentication technologies in the future.
Conclusion
Enterprise messaging has secured its spot as a vehicle for increased revenue, customer loyalty, employee communications and efficiency. Hence, MNOs must provide highly-reliable and value-added mobile messaging solutions to customers in the years to come.
Telecom operators should further innovate their mobile messaging powered by enterprise messaging system to develop a rapid, cost-effective global messaging strategy.
