SK Telecom going after Kakao in mobile messenger
SK Telecom started its latest messenger service Rich Communication Services (RCS) through Samsung smartphones with the aim of catching up with Kakao Talk, the nation’s largest messaging app, the company said Tuesday.
RCS, developed by the GSM Association, is the international standard for integrated, aimed at replacing SMS messages with a richer text-message system. The GSM Association is a trade body representing mobile network operators worldwide.
SK Telecom, the nation’s top mobile carrier, said its new messag- ing service significantly expands functions, though it does not require users to install additional applications or subscribe to additional services.
The service is offered in the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+ through a software upgrade in cooperation with Samsung Electronics. The service will be expanded to the Galaxy Note 8, the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+ in February.
The Galaxy S10, which is expected to be released in February, will have the function as a basic feature.
The new service enables users to send high-resolution photos or short video clips with less than five-megabyte capacity to others. Users can also share photos, videos, music files and documents with 100-megabyte capacity.
The existing SMS deduct data and compress data files when photos and video clips are sent, affecting quality. When using RCS, users do not need to worry about data compression, the mobile carrier said.
SK Telecom noted that the RCS service also includes most of the functions offered by mobile messenger services such as group chat.
“Gifticon,” a mobile commerce service that allows people to exchange small gifts and has a simple remittance feature, will be added in the second half of the year.
SK Telecom is pushing to work with two other mobile carriers — KT and LG Uplus — so all subscribers can use the RCS service regardless of which telecom firm they subscribe to.
The company said it expects users of Android smartphones produced by other firms besides Samsung to use the RCS service within the year.
The RCS service for corporate customers will be unveiled in the first half of the year, the mobile carrier said. This will enable enterprises to send photos and video clips promoting their services to customers more simply.
“RCS is a breakthrough innovation of SMS which have been provided by mobile network operators for a long time,” said James Ryu, corporate center leader at SK Telecom. “SK Telecom will continue to make consistent efforts to innovate services.”