Google Leads Businesses Beyond Standard SMS

While the iPhone is popular among both consumers and businesses, Apple may not keep that lead for long. One company hoping to up the Android game is Google.

The search giant recently announced the availability of its new platform for businesses. With this new offering, nearly any business will have the capability to move beyond the traditional SMS texting promotional efforts. Companies deciding to utilize Google’s new platform will be able to use it for group texting, high-resolution photos and read receipts for consumers with Android smartphones.

The messaging technology Google is using for this platform is rich communications services (RCS), which pushes the envelope for what’s possible in business outreach. Since this type of technology has been around since the early days of cell phones, consumers who want simple texts can still receive them. This feature allows businesses to reach all of their target audience using Android devices.

To help expand its efforts, Google is working with companies like Deutsche Telecom, Globe, Orange and Vodafone to preload Android messages on phones. While most of these companies are located overseas, there have been recent announcements with companies to expand this offering into the U.S., Europe and Asia.

With all of these carriers having a collective subscriber base of over 1 billion, this move looks to be Android’s power move to take over the smartphone market (or at least take the lead for now). The Android is typically known as the developers’ phone because it allows for these types of integrations.

As more companies make the shift over the next few years to more eCommerce-focused strategies, the retail market may see more companies using services like Google’s new platform. Through this wave of promotional efforts, companies can gain further insight into consumer preferences to help provide a more tailored experience interaction.