Business

Apple’s iOS support triggers rapid surge in RCS messaging adoption among UK enterprises

Wednesday, 18 June 2025 12:08AM UTC

Following Apple’s integration of Rich Communication Services (RCS) in iOS, UK businesses, especially within FTSE indices, are rapidly shifting to enriched, interactive messaging formats to enhance customer engagement and drive digital transformation across sectors.

The adoption of Rich Communication Services (RCS) messaging is rapidly transforming how UK enterprises engage with their customers, driven by significant technological shifts and evolving consumer expectations. Following Apple’s recent iOS update, which introduced RCS support to iPhones, UK businesses across various sectors, particularly within the FTSE 100 and FTSE 350, have increasingly embraced this advanced messaging platform. This transition is reshaping customer communication strategies, moving away from traditional SMS and third-party messaging apps, towards richer, more interactive, and brand-verified messaging formats.

Infobip, a global cloud communications provider with a strong presence in the UK market, reports a substantial surge in omnichannel messaging activity, integrating RCS alongside established channels such as WhatsApp, SMS, voice, and video. This diversified approach allows enterprises to leverage RCS’s enhanced features, including branded user interfaces, high-resolution visuals, interactive rich cards, and real-time feedback mechanisms. These capabilities not only heighten customer engagement but also improve conversion rates, as the interactive elements encourage quicker and more meaningful responses from users. According to James Stokes, a senior executive at Infobip responsible for UK and Nordics operations, the simplicity of integration, combined with verified sender identity and multimedia content, builds consumer trust and drives large-scale campaign effectiveness.

The telecom, technology, and software sectors in the UK have been at the forefront of this adoption, investing heavily in RCS to elevate their customer experience frameworks. This movement correlates with a broader shift towards conversational commerce, where businesses seek scalable, integrated, and data-driven communication tools to provide seamless user journeys. UK companies aim to capitalise on this trend, recognising RCS as a critical component of their digital transformation strategies, particularly within innovation-driven indices such as the FTSE AIM UK 50 and FTSE AIM 100.

Apple’s ecosystem alignment marks a pivotal moment for RCS growth. Previously limited to Android users, the introduction of RCS on iOS devices has significantly expanded the potential audience for richer, interactive messaging. This convergence reduces fragmentation in mobile communications, allowing businesses to offer a consistent, secure, and engaging messaging experience across different operating systems. Research forecasts from Juniper Research and others highlight a dramatic increase in RCS user base and revenue, with global active users expected to surpass two billion and revenues from A2P RCS messaging projected to reach several billion dollars within the next five years. These optimistic projections underline the substantial market opportunity emerging from RCS’s integration into mainstream smartphone platforms.

Further corroborating industry sentiment, data from Sinch, another major communications provider, indicates that over 70% of brands predict RCS will become a primary channel for customer communication within five years, with a majority expecting it to be the default messaging method within a decade. Features like ‘verified sender’ status and the ability to bypass third-party messaging apps enhance security and convenience, factors that appeal strongly to both businesses and consumers.

Infobip itself has grown considerably in this roadmap, expanding its global footprint with strategic acquisitions and delivering extensive CPaaS (Communications Platform as a Service) solutions, including RCS business messaging. Its growth signals both the rising demand for advanced communication technologies and confidence in RCS’s role in the future of business messaging.

In conclusion, the accelerated adoption of RCS in the UK epitomises a broader digital transformation trend where interactive, branded, and integrated messaging strategies become central to customer engagement. Enabled by Apple’s iOS integration and amplified by robust omnichannel platforms, RCS is positioning itself not only as a preferred communication channel but also as a critical driver of customer experience innovation across multiple UK industries.

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Source: Noah Wire Services

More on this

https://kalkinemedia.com/uk/news/market-updates/uk-brands-drive-rcs-messaging-growth-as-apple-ios-shift-spurs-engagement-ftse-insights - Please view link - unable to able to access data
https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesbusinesscouncil/2024/05/16/rich-communication-services-rcs-will-take-a-quantum-leap-forward-what-does-it-mean-for-customer-experience/ - This article discusses the rapid growth of Rich Communication Services (RCS) messaging, highlighting a 358% increase in RCS messages on Infobip's platform in 2023. It also notes that Juniper Research forecasts the RCS Business Messaging user base to surpass 2 billion by 2028, with Apple's integration of RCS on iPhones and Google's support positioning RCS as a prominent channel for business mobile messaging.
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241009609209/en/New-research-reveals-the-growing-significance-of-RCS-messaging - A whitepaper commissioned by Infobip reveals that RCS traffic is projected to quadruple over the next five years, with revenues from A2P RCS expected to reach $4.2 billion by 2029. The research highlights that Apple's adoption of RCS in iOS 18 is a significant factor in this growth, with an estimated 2.5 billion monthly active users by the end of 2024.
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240107553256/en/Juniper-Research-Apple%E2%80%99s-RCS-Support-to-Grow-RCS-Business-Messaging-Revenue-by-500-Globally-in-Two-Years - Juniper Research forecasts that global operator revenue from RCS business messaging will grow from $1.3 billion in 2023 to $8 billion in 2025, largely driven by Apple's announced support of RCS technology in late 2024. This support is expected to increase the number of active users by 900 million over the next two years, reaching 2.1 billion globally.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infobip - Infobip is a Croatian IT and telecommunications company founded in 2006. It offers a range of services, including Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS), A2P Messaging, and RCS Business Messaging. The company has experienced significant growth, with revenues reaching €1.735 billion in 2023, and has expanded its global presence through acquisitions such as OpenMarket and Peerless Network.
https://news.cision.com/sinch-ab/r/sinch-reports-increased-interest-in-rcs-messaging-as-apple-adds-rcs-to-ios-18%2Cc4061071 - Sinch reports a significant increase in interest in RCS messaging following Apple's addition of RCS support in iOS 18. Over 70% of brands predict RCS will become a primary customer communication channel within five years, with 73% expecting it to become the default messaging channel within a decade. Apple's support enables seamless rich content messaging between iPhone and Android users.
https://mediabrief.com/sinch-reports-increased-interest-in-rcs-messaging-as-apple-adds-rcs-to-ios-18/ - Sinch's panel of senior marketing and digital communications specialists from major European brands indicates that over 70% expect RCS to be one of their primary customer communication channels within the next five years. The adoption of RCS is driven by features like the 'verified sender' and the ability to communicate directly with customers without third-party apps.

Noah Fact Check Pro

The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may warrant further investigation.

Freshness check

Score: 8

Notes: The narrative discusses the recent adoption of Rich Communication Services (RCS) by UK businesses following Apple's iOS update. Apple announced RCS support in November 2023, with the feature becoming available in iOS 18.1 in October 2024. ([macrumors.com](https://www.macrumors.com/2023/11/16/apple-to-adopt-rcs-messaging-standard/?utm_source=openai), [prnewswire.com](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sinch-reports-increased-interest-in-rcs-messaging-as-apple-adds-rcs-to-ios-18-302296616.html?utm_source=openai)) The article was published in June 2025, indicating timely coverage. However, the presence of multiple references to external sources suggests some content may be recycled. Notably, the article cites a press release from Sinch dated November 5, 2024, which may have been incorporated into the narrative. ([prnewswire.com](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sinch-reports-increased-interest-in-rcs-messaging-as-apple-adds-rcs-to-ios-18-302296616.html?utm_source=openai)) This incorporation of recent data justifies a higher freshness score but should be flagged. Additionally, the article includes updated data but recycles older material, which may justify a higher freshness score but should still be flagged. The earliest known publication date of substantially similar content is November 16, 2023, when Apple announced its plan to adopt RCS. ([macrumors.com](https://www.macrumors.com/2023/11/16/apple-to-adopt-rcs-messaging-standard/?utm_source=openai)) This indicates that the narrative is based on recent developments, with no significant discrepancies in figures, dates, or quotes.

Quotes check

Score: 9

Notes: The narrative includes a quote from James Stokes, a senior executive at Infobip, discussing the benefits of RCS integration. A search for this quote reveals no earlier usage, suggesting it is original or exclusive content. This originality enhances the credibility of the narrative.

Source reliability

Score: 6

Notes: The narrative originates from Kalkine Media, a financial news platform. While it provides timely coverage, the platform's reputation is not as established as major outlets like the Financial Times or Reuters. This raises some uncertainty regarding the reliability of the information presented.

Plausability check

Score: 8

Notes: The narrative discusses the adoption of RCS by UK businesses following Apple's iOS update, a development covered by reputable sources. The inclusion of a direct quote from James Stokes adds credibility. However, the reliance on a press release from Sinch and the presence of recycled content suggest a need for further scrutiny. The language and tone are consistent with industry reporting, and the structure is focused on the claim without excessive or off-topic detail.

Overall assessment

Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): OPEN

Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM

Summary: The narrative provides timely coverage of the adoption of RCS by UK businesses following Apple's iOS update, incorporating original quotes and recent data. However, the reliance on a press release from Sinch and the presence of recycled content from Kalkine Media raise concerns about the originality and reliability of the information. Further verification from more established sources is recommended to confirm the accuracy and credibility of the claims made.

RCS messaging
Apple iOS
UK enterprises
customer engagement
digital transformation