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I am very curious how carriers will respond to Google deciding to preempt them by pushing an app update to redirect all text messaging straight to Google server

I am very curious how carriers will respond to Google deciding to preempt them by pushing an app update to redirect all text messaging straight to Google servers versus the carriers. Google seemed like it was respecting the carriers' involvement, right up until carriers announced plans to build their own RCS system that didn't give Google the data. Suddenly, Google is turning on RCS? Presumably Google was hoping it could convince carriers to pay Google to host their messaging platforms, and when Google lost that gamble, they decided they still wanted the data either way. This is the sort of coup I half-wonder if carriers would drop the Android platform over. (At the very least, I think four more large companies will be vocally supporting the DOJ's antitrust investigation.)

Mindwipe 7y ago
To be honest, I think they might find after it's turned on that the limitation to the Google Messages app (which is not the default on Samsung devices and hence represents very little in terms of market share) doesn't move the needle at all and makes very little difference. Certainly, the impact of turning it on on the UK market seems to have been zero. If Google follows through by enabling it system wide in future OS versions that might change a little, but Android being as it is that will take a long, long time, and the carriers probably suspect their own RCS implementations will have worked before then, or Whatsapp will just take over the US too and RCS will be dead.
- Avamander 7y ago
  I doubt Whatsapp will take over US too, the network effect is probably too strong for that to happen. For the same reason FB Messenger seems to still dominate some markets and Telegram others, even if theoretically Whatsapp could take both over because neighbouring countries are using them.
- kelnos 7y ago
  I do use the Google Messages app, but I don't plan to enable RCS any time soon. The main reason is that I use the "SMS Backup & Restore" app to back up my SMSes & MMSes, and it's unable to back up RCS messages because they're stored in a separate DB that currently has no system API access. So chalk that up as perhaps another reason why some people won't "upgrade".

Mindwipe 7y ago

To be honest, I think they might find after it's turned on that the limitation to the Google Messages app (which is not the default on Samsung devices and hence represents very little in terms of market share) doesn't move the needle at all and makes very little difference. Certainly, the impact of turning it on on the UK market seems to have been zero. If Google follows through by enabling it system wide in future OS versions that might change a little, but Android being as it is that will take a long, long time, and the carriers probably suspect their own RCS implementations will have worked before then, or Whatsapp will just take over the US too and RCS will be dead.

Avamander 7y ago
I doubt Whatsapp will take over US too, the network effect is probably too strong for that to happen. For the same reason FB Messenger seems to still dominate some markets and Telegram others, even if theoretically Whatsapp could take both over because neighbouring countries are using them.
kelnos 7y ago
I do use the Google Messages app, but I don't plan to enable RCS any time soon. The main reason is that I use the "SMS Backup & Restore" app to back up my SMSes & MMSes, and it's unable to back up RCS messages because they're stored in a separate DB that currently has no system API access. So chalk that up as perhaps another reason why some people won't "upgrade".