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Google Renames Messenger To Android Messages as the Company Pushes RCS (betanews.com)
We have come a long way from the age of flip phones and nine-key texting. Even as if group messaging and instant messengers took over, the SMS has largely retained its core standard over the years. Google wants to change that, and for this, it has been working with hundreds of carriers and manufacturers around the world to bring the text message into the 21st century. Using a standard called Rich Communications Services, the group plans to make a texting app that comes with your phone and is every bit as powerful as those dedicated messaging apps. This would make all the best features available to everyone with an Android phone. From a report on BetaNews: Just last week we were talking about Google's championing of RCS (Rich Communication Services), the successor to SMS. Now the company has renamed its Messenger app to Android Messages as it aims to become not just the default SMS app, but the default RCS app for Android users. Part of the reason for the name change is to convey the idea that the app is now about more than just one type of message. Google is betting big on RCS and this is hinted at in the app update description which says it adds "Simpler sign-up for enhanced features on supported carriers."
Who is asking for this?
It's called iMessage.
just in case ou were wondering why Google is pushing RCS now... who knew that the part of iOS 10 many people laughed at, iMessage stickers, would be a smash ht for Apple that had Google scrambling to come up with an answer for?
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
you forget:
4. easier to charge for each message
5. easier for the police to get the meta data (who you've sent messages to)
6. easier to block you from keeping your identifier (phone number) when you migrate to another country
RCS should be killed with fire. The only worse messaging protocol is Apple iMessage, because it is single vendor.