A growing number of voice carriers are making a move into the business messaging space. Application-to-person (A2P) messaging provides new revenue streams to carriers suffering in a challenging market.
According to Research and Markets, the global A2P messaging market size is expected to reach $77.1 billion by 2026, rising at a CAGR of 3.7% during the forecast period. Unlike the voice market, A2P offers new growth opportunities serving aggregators or enterprises across an international footprint.
The challenge for carriers is to ensure an optimised experience for end users and to deliver consistently for quality-sensitive enterprises. A “best effort” approach isn’t enough for carriers to be successful in the A2P world. To capture long-term growth, they must deliver messages to the right users quickly, cost effectively and efficiently.
Services like Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) represent a massive growth opportunity but there are considerations when entering the A2P market.
Here are five things carriers need to think about
1. Targets, Positioning, and Investments in the A2P Market
Carriers need to consider the customers they want to target and how they want to position their A2P messaging services in the market. Most carriers will be looking at the mid-to-high end of the market to serve the enterprises with the largest volumes, and in turn, the strictest requirements for quality and performance. This should inform their decision making about optimising their A2P messaging services and where they choose to invest when developing their offerings.
2. Understand the Number Portability Landscape in the Markets You are Targeting
Over 100 countries today have implemented Mobile Number Portability (MNP), and in many of those countries, over 40% of numbers have been ported. MNP can cause messages to be lost or delayed before delivery to end users. For services like 2FA this can be a critical differentiator for A2P service providers. Slow delivery of 2FA means a poor user experience and can cause them to turn off 2FA or not use the application or service. Reviewing the MNP landscape is a critical starting point for understanding global number intelligence requirements.
3. Audit and Review Existing Numbering Intelligence
By auditing and reviewing their existing number intelligence, carriers can understand weaknesses and look at ways to ensure their data is accurate and reliable. They can then take steps to expand their data sets, integrate solutions like real-time number portability, and begin to improve operational performance.
4. Establish a Process for Refining and Optimising Data
Precision routing and message delivery depends on accurate global number portability data, so cleaning, refining and updating has to be a continuous and consistent activity. Carriers may have out of date and inaccurate data, which does more harm than good, leading to damaged reputations and loss of potential revenue. They need to invest in not just data sets, but the processes around enhancing and growing their MNP data. The result is accurate data that supports the long-term growth of their A2P offerings. It isn’t just about data. It’s about the data lifecycle.
5. Continual Management and Expansion of Data Sets
Carriers must understand how data changes over time and how different versions of their data sets may be necessary to address different requirements. They need to create new value from data sets across their voice and messaging services, and apply it to challenges faced across message delivery, direct routing, mitigating fraud and OBR losses.
By continuing to manage and expand their data sets according to enterprise demands, it allows them to protect their reputation, reduce costs, and deliver accurate, reliable and trustworthy services across the board.
Carriers entering the A2P market must have the right data and processes to underpin their A2P businesses. The strict demands of the A2P market mean global numbering intelligence is critical to the long-term success of their business messaging solutions.
XConnect advises carriers on their strategy for global numbering intelligence and provides Data Management as a Service solutions. We’re experts in numbering intelligence and help carriers to be successful when entering the A2P market.
We deliver carrier-grade services to over 200 operators globally, including MNOs, business messaging (A2P) hubs, aggregators, carriers and interconnect providers. Our team collaborates with carriers to understand their goals, audit their existing data and provide solutions that make data management and optimisation simple and seamless.
Get in touch if you’re launching an A2P messaging offering and need expert advice on data strategy.