SMS will remain the foundation of trust, but the conversational experience built into RCS, WhatsApp and AI will be standard by 2026, Sinch said

SMS will remain one of the most important pillars for reach, trust and immediate communication between brands and consumers, according to Sinch 'WORLD reference in conversational communication in the cloud. However, conversational journeys live an accelerated transition: by 2026, rich messages via RCS, WhatsApp and AI platforms should complement and expand the role of SMS, allowing integrated experiences where the customer can search, buy, request support and complete transactions in a single conversation.

“A Sinch enables more than 900 billion interactions per year for 190 thousand companies, reaching virtually every cell phone on the planet”, said Mario Marchetti, Sinch's director general for Latin America. “This scale gives us a unique insight into where the world is heading. Our predictions are not theoretical ”they are based on real data and billions of conversations that show how AI, messaging and trust are transforming communication.”

According to Sinch's The state of RCS in customer communications survey, 40% of business leaders highlight RCS as the channel with the greatest potential to increase customer engagement, driven primarily by the ability to embed action buttons, images, forms and product carousels directly into the message. In recent projects, brands that have adopted RCS have recorded an increase of up to 60% in ROI and up to three times more traffic to official websites when compared to traditional SMS.

“The evolution of SMS does not mean substitution, but rather expansion”, says the executive.“The consumer will continue to rely on SMS for validation, security and urgent messages (BUT wants the convenience of exploring, deciding and solving everything in the same channel, with the fluidity of a conversation.”

SMS will remain essential for reach and verification, but rich channels like RCS and WhatsApp will turn unique interactions into two-way experiences.

Connected journeys will be a competitive differentiator

The study also shows that consumers are demanding continuity between channels: 85% start conversations on one device and end them on another, demanding fluid transitions between voice, chat, email and messaging applications & & & & & & & & & & & & & 46% of executives, the main strategic priority is to integrate technologies and data to ensure this seamless experience.

Companies that maintain isolated channels tend to lose customers midway through the journey to competitors that offer consolidated omnichannel solutions.

Regional strategies will be key for global brands

While WhatsApp dominates markets such as Brazil and India, according to a study The most popular messaging apps in the world by country by Sinch, 90% of traffic, 30% of consumers preferring the channel to receive promotions markets such as the United States advance RCS as the main model of advanced messaging. Already superapps such as WeChat, which records more than 1 billion daily business transactions in China, continue to dictate the pattern of integration between services, payments and relationships.

“The conversational journey no longer has a single” format, says Marchetti.“The future will be multi-channel, multi-market and AI-orchestrated.Companies that understand local behavior and intelligently connect technologies will be the winners”