Singapore – Twilio, a customer engagement platform, has announced that it has partnered with telecommunications company Singtel to equip Singapore-based businesses with a trusted messaging platform, responsible for seamless customer engagement within mobile inboxes.
This partnership comes at a crucial time as consumer expectations around data privacy and security continue to increase, allowing businesses to further establish trust with customers, especially when interacting with them.
For instance, a consumer preferences report by Twilio last year revealed that 79% of Singapore consumers trust brand communications more when a verification badge is present, and 68% say branded text messages make a brand appear more reliable.
With Twilio’s Tich Rich Communications Services (RCS) Business Messaging, this initiative brings automatic upgrades to SMS messages to RCS on supported devices. RCS messages up to 160 UTF-8 characters are also priced the same as standard SMS, making it a cost-effective upgrade.
It also enables immediate testing, with branded profiles being built directly in the Twilio Console to begin testing with designated devices immediately.
Another significant benefit of RCS is zero code changes. Once the sender is approved, it can be activated in the console without any code modifications, API integrations, or changes in configurations.
According to the firm, Twilio manages registration and onboarding with international carriers and capability checks and provides tools to ensure messages are delivered over SMS when RCS is not available.
Lastly, it offers businesses the ability to use valuable data and insights into customer engagement, including RCS read receipts, within existing Twilio dashboards.
Speaking about the endeavour, Robert Woolfrey, vice president, APJ, Communications at Twilio, said, “As consumers grow increasingly savvy and discerning, they demand trusted and immersive experiences at every touchpoint. RCS messaging offers an enhanced alternative to SMS and bridges the gap between traditional messaging and the interactive experiences offered by over-the-top channels. It provides the perfect solution to deliver interactive, dynamic communications while assuring customers of the sender’s identity.”
“We’re thrilled to partner with Singtel to empower businesses in Singapore to deliver exceptional customer experiences and foster trusted, meaningful relationships,” he further shared.
Terence Lai, VP of Digitalisation, Products and Partnerships at Singtel, also commented, “Businesses in Singapore must adapt to the evolving expectations of consumers who are seeking more immersive interactions, especially through their mobile devices. Our partnership with Twilio enables businesses in Singapore to tap on RCS messaging to deliver rich and interactive communications that can improve their engagement with their customers in new and exciting ways.”
Twilio launched RCS Business Messaging (RBM) in Singapore, marking its first entry into the Asian market. On the other hand, businesses in the U.S., France, Germany, the U.K., Mexico, Brazil, and other countries utilise Twilio’s RBM to strengthen customer engagement. This expansion underscores the company’s mission to equip more businesses globally with rich and interactive messaging capabilities.
