CLX runs beta trial of RCS business messaging with SMS fall-back

Cloud communications provider CLX Communications said it has launched the first Rich Communication Service (RCS) businesses messaging API with SMS fall-back. Enterprises can now sign up to a limited beta trial of A2P RCS in selected countries. CLX said this API will enable businesses to create RCS campaigns ahead of Google's RCS Android Business Messaging launch later this month.

CLX is part of Google's Early Access Programme and this launch includes SMS fall-back so that messages are still sent to handsets that are not RCS-enabled as a text message.

The RCS Universal Profile 2.0 standard allows features such as images, videos and intuitive reply buttons that can link to other menus and functions. It is designed to promote two-way interaction between the enterprise and the customer, such as through chatbots.

CLX said self-service text and voice marketing services provider CallFire has alresdy begun using the CLX RCS API. CallFire said it is launching RCS on the US market to improve customer service. It is important be able to manage a hybrid between RCS and SMS for the foreseeable future, said CallFire.

According to the GSMA, 50 mobile operators are already RCS-enabled, and that it currently has 138 million users worldwide, forecast to grow to over 1 billion by 2019. The A2P messaging market will be worth USD 74 billion by 2021, driven by messaging based on the RCS standard.