Google Inc. Finally Gets Ready to Kill SMS Messages

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Ockie

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Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) recently acquired Jibe Mobile, a cloud communications company for mobile operators, to help introduce a carrier messaging standard known as Rich Communications Services (RCS) to mobile users. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

RCS is a potential replacement for the aging Short Message Service (SMS) standard. Unlike spartan SMS messages, RCS features more modern features like emoticons, location sharing, group chats, and file transfers. RCS has existed for several years, but it's been largely overshadowed by popular OTT (over-the-top) mobile messaging apps like Facebook's (NASDAQ:FB) WhatsApp.

At first glance, investing in a neglected carrier-based messaging standard seems like an odd step back from OTT messaging apps. But if we dig deeper, we can see why Google is adopting this strategy.

How Google fell behind in messaging
Although Google owns the world's largest mobile operating system, it's failed to deliver a powerhouse mobile messaging app to challenge WhatsApp.

Google's core communication app is Google Hangouts, a platform that integrates SMS, Internet calls, video chat, text messages, and instant messaging in a single platform. Google hasn't disclosed how many users regularly use Hangouts, but tech site Tech2 suggested that it's much less popular than Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and other popular messaging apps. That's mainly because Hangouts' core user base is rooted in Google's failed social experiment, Google+.......
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http://www.fool.com/investing/gener...-finally-gets-ready-to-kill-sms-messages.aspx
 
interesting

to save hangouts all google had to do was open it up to third party OTT apps. imagine being able to chat to one contact via telegram/whatsapp when they are on hangouts?
 
Baxteen said:
interesting

to save hangouts all google had to do was open it up to third party OTT apps. imagine being able to chat to one contact via telegram/whatsapp when they are on hangouts?
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They did that 10 years ago already - Google Talk was xmpp but people (MS) only leeched off it and they closed it down by making hangouts. Problem is non of the other apps are open...
 
Vodacom/Vodafone had a RCS platform for ages. It is called messenger+, or something like that
 
Nod said:
Just tested it. Works fine. Call & Message+ is the name
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Oh ok. I checked in the play store and could not see it there. Only Vodafone.

This could be different though. If Google does what Apple did with iMessage where it is built into the phone and who ever is using a Android phone uses it to send what they think is SMS but instead it is a data IM, then it could be a big disruptor.
 
Ockie said:
Oh ok. I checked in the play store and could not see it there. Only Vodafone.

This could be different though. If Google does what Apple did with iMessage where it is built into the phone and who ever is using a Android phone uses it to send what they think is SMS but instead it is a data IM, then it could be a big disruptor.
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Message+ is from Vodafone.
It is a bit heavy on resources. But then again my Nexus S is starting to show its age ...
 
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