When you send a text message today, you’re probably using SMS even if you don’t know it. SMS stands for Short Message Service, and it’s been the standard way of texting for over 30 years. But now, there’s a newer, better way to send messages: Rich Communication Services, or RCS.
RCS transforms the default Messages app into a branded channel that guides customers from interest to action in a single thread. Rich cards display product visuals and pricing, carousels let users compare variants, and quick replies reduce typing effort. Suggested actions trigger the next step instantly — opening a map, adding to a calendar, calling support, or deep-linking into checkout. Every interaction creates an event log, giving product, growth, and CX teams full visibility into which creatives and calls-to-action drive conversions and close the loop.
At Times Mobile, we help businesses connect with customers in more modern, exciting, and interactive ways. RCS is one of the best tools available today to do just that. In this article, we’ll discuss what RCS is, how it’s different from SMS, and why it matters for your business.
RCS adds verified branding, rich cards, carousels, and tap-to-act buttons inside the native Messages app. SMS delivers unmatched reach and instant delivery over carrier rails. At Times Mobile, we design the stack so you use RCS for interactive journeys and fall back to SMS for universal coverage and regulated alerts. This comparison helps enterprises choose the right channel per use case not the noisiest one.
What Is SMS?
SMS is the most basic form of text messaging. It works on almost every phone and doesn’t need internet or Wi-Fi. That’s one of the reasons it has remained popular for so long.
With SMS:
- Messages are limited to 160 characters
- You can’t send pictures or videos (unless using MMS)
- There are no typing indicators or read receipts
- It sends messages through the mobile network, not the internet
Even in 2025, texting is still the most popular mobile activity, with 83% of people saying they text more than they use social media or email. So businesses continue to use SMS because it’s simple and reaches everyone.
However, SMS appears to be quite out of date these days. It is simple, short, and does not support contemporary features. This is where RCS comes in.
SMS remains the universal, carrier-grade channel for alerts, OTPs, and fail-safe delivery. It works with data off, in low-bandwidth zones, and on every handset available. For regulated updates and urgent notifications, SMS meets SLAs without friction. RCS adds rich, interactive journeys; SMS ensures delivery every time. The right messaging architecture accepts both realities and routes traffic accordingly.
What Is RCS Messaging?
RCS is a newer type of messaging that allows you to send more than just plain text. It works inside the phone’s regular messaging app, just like SMS, but it offers a lot more features.
Governance makes delivery reliable. Times Mobile applies naming standards, category mapping, and localization rules to every SMS and RCS template. Brand and legal reviews are built into the workflow instead of scattered email threads. RCS verification stays strong with consistent branding and low spam signals, while DLT-approved SMS headers and templates remain in sync with the actual outbound traffic. This structured governance prevents last-minute rejections and protects quality scores across all channels.
With RCS, you can:
- Send high-quality images, videos, and even audio
- Show typing indicators and read receipts
- Create group chats
- Add buttons for quick replies or actions
- Include your business name, logo, and a verified checkmark
At Times Mobile, we provide RCS messaging that enables businesses to stand out. This implies your messaging will be more interactive, media-rich, and engaging for your customers, rather than just simple text.
“Rich SMS” is not a standard. Marketers sometimes say “rich SMS” to describe plain SMS containing short links, Unicode, or previewed URLs. RCS is the actual standards-based rich channel with buttons, carousels, and verified branding rendered natively. Treat SMS as the reach rail and RCS as the rich interaction rail; orchestrate both from one policy.
For enterprises, RCS runs through RBM: a verified brand profile, logo and name in the header, rich cards/carousels, suggested replies/actions, and delivery/read/interaction events that flow to analytics. Times Mobile configures RBM so promotions, guided onboarding, support triage, and surveys run inside one thread no app install, no webview gymnastics with SMS failover baked in.
Why Should Businesses Use RCS?
Today’s customers want more from their conversations with brands. They want clear, helpful, and easy communication. That’s where Times Mobile comes in.
We help businesses use RCS to:
- Send eye-catching messages with images, videos, and carousels
- Add quick-reply buttons so customers can respond instantly
- Show your brand name and logo, making messages more trustworthy
- Track message performance, like who opened or clicked
When messages are more interactive, people are more likely to respond. In fact:
- A 2018 study by GSMA found that 74% of people said they would be more likely to engage with a brand through RCS.
RCS Business Messaging exposes a verified business profile with brand name and logo in the chat header. SMS communicates trust through registered sender IDs and DLT-approved templates. Times Mobile provisions both correctly, maintains template hygiene, and monitors quality so customers recognise the brand, engage confidently, and avoid phishing lookalikes.
When Should You Use RCS or SMS?
RCS and SMS reach their potential only when they sit on a clean integration spine. Times Mobile connects channels to CRM, CDP, helpdesk, and marketing automation through secure APIs and webhooks. Every message emits events sent, delivered, read (for RCS), action tapped, reply received, fallback triggered, opt-out processed. Those events feed the warehouse and BI, where journeys, cohorts, and experiments are measured with the same discipline you expect from product analytics.
Both SMS and RCS have their place. It depends on what you’re trying to do and who you’re trying to reach.
Use RCS if:
- You want to send media-rich messages (images, videos, carousels)
- You need features like read receipts or typing indicators
- Your customers have newer Android phones that support RCS
- You want a branded, interactive experience
Use SMS if:
- You need to reach everyone, including people with older phones
- You’re sending a short, urgent message
- You don’t need advanced features
With Times Mobile, you don’t have to choose just one. We help businesses combine SMS and RCS so you can send the right message in the right format every time.
Lead with RCS for users on supported Android/iOS builds use cards, lists, and quick actions to cut friction. If RCS is unsupported or undelivered within 120 seconds, send the equivalent SMS. For OTP or critical alerts, use 45 seconds, then escalate to Voice/IVR at 3 minutes if no delivery is recorded. Times Mobile logs sent, delivered, read, action-tapped, and fallback-triggered events to your BI so performance is provable.
SMS is the lowest unit-cost rail and delivers reliably even when data is off. RCS is priced slightly above SMS yet remains below WhatsApp for similar media workloads; higher CTR and read rates offset unit differences. We pace campaigns to channel throughput, keep quality scores healthy, and route long-tail reach to SMS so you scale volume without losing performance.
What Times Mobile Offers?
At Times Mobile, best cpaas solutions, we don’t believe in boring text messages. Our RCS service helps you turn everyday customer interactions into memorable, engaging conversations.
We help businesses:
- Build customer trust with verified business profiles
- Boost engagement and loyalty with rich content
- Stand out from other brands with eye-catching messages
With Times Mobile RCS messaging, your business can finally deliver messages that look and feel modern and that your customers will actually enjoy receiving.
Times Mobile links RCS and SMS through one CPaaS layer connected to CRM, CDP, Helpdesk, and Marketing Automation, while streaming events into the data warehouse or BI tools. We track every signal — sent, delivered, read (RCS), action tap, carousel view, reply, opt-out, and fallback triggers — then report on delivery rate, read rate, CTR, conversion, time-to-first-engagement, and cost per resolved intent. This makes channel selection an operational policy, not a matter of guesswork.
Final Thoughts
RCS is more than just a new kind of message; it’s the future of mobile communication. If you want your messages to get noticed, remembered, and acted on, RCS is the way to go.
RCS drives guided interactions; SMS guarantees reach. Enterprises need both. Times Mobile integrates channels into your systems of record, enforces consent and governance, and instruments every journey for measurable improvement. The outcome is simple: higher completion rates for the tasks that pay the bills, without sacrificing compliance or reliability.
Let Times Mobile help you upgrade your messaging. Whether you’re sending promotions, reminders, updates, or customer support, RCS can help you do it better.
Make every message count. Make conversations richer with Times Mobile.
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