Rich Communication Services
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The Rich Communication Services programme is a global initiative to deploy inter-operator services within an industry ecosystem. Created by the GSM Association (GSMA), Rich Communication Services are designed to offer richer yet simpler communication services supported by a strong ecosystem and a variety of architecture implementation options.[GSMA 1]
Marketed by the GSMA under the brand name joyn™,[GSMA 2] RCS is an upgrade that marks the transition of messaging and voice capabilities from Circuit Switched technology to an all-IP world. RCS and Voice over Long Term Evolution (VoLTE) share the same IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) investment and leverage the same IMS capabilities. Wider and large scale IMS deployment, interoperability between different terminal vendor RCS clients and RCS service interworking between operators are the key aims of the RCS Initiative.[GSMA 3]
For consumers, it has the potential to combine voice and SMS with instant messaging or chat, live video sharing and file transfer across all devices and networks.
Main features of RCS are:
- Enhanced Phonebook: service capabilities and enhanced contacts information such as presence and service discovery.
- Enhanced Messaging: enables a large variety of messaging options including chat, emoticons, location share and file sharing.
- Enriched Calls: enables multimedia content sharing during a voice call, video call and video sharing (see what I see)
The service was launched free of charge, but will be a paid service in the future.[1]
It is more limited than its competitors, because it is only available to some telecommunications carriers.[1]
Contents |
History [edit]
It was originally known as Rich Communication Suite.
RCS specifications [edit]
RCS leverages the various existing standards, thus RCS takes on board different services defined by e.g. 3GPP and Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) and combines them with the Enhanced Phonebook. This allows the service capabilities as well as presence information of the different recipients to be shown in the terminal phonebook application.
RCS reuses the capabilities of 3GPP specified IMS core system as the underlying service platform taking care of issues such as authentication, authorization, registration, charging and routing.
Five releases of the RCS specifications have been made to date. Each release expanded the scope of its predecessor.
- Release 1
- Offered the first definitions for the enrichment of voice and chat with content sharing, driven from an RCS enhanced address book.
- Release 2
- Added broadband access to RCS features: enhancing the messaging and enabling sharing of files.
- Release 3
- Focused on the broadband device as a primary device.
- Release 4
- Included support for LTE.
- Release 5
- The most recent release, global interoperability is a key aspect of these specifications.
The following standardized services are a part of the specifications of RCS:[2]
- Standalone Messaging
- 1-to-1 Chat
- Group Chat
- File Transfer
- Content Sharing
- Social Presence Information
- IP Voice call
- Best Effort Video call
- Geolocation Exchange
- Network based blacklist
- Capability Exchange based on Presence or SIP OPTIONS
Status [edit]
The Rich Communication Suite (RCS) industry initiative was formed by a group of leading industry players in 2007. In February 2008 the GSMA officially became the project ‘home’ of RCS and an RCS Steering Committee was established by the organisation.
The scope of the RCS Steering Committee’s work was to entail the definition, testing and integration of the diverse services in the application suite known as RCS. Some three years later, the RCS project released a new specification – RCS-e (e = ‘enhanced’) as well as the various iterations of the original RCS specifications and the programme is now called Rich Communication Services.[3]
Rich Communication Services (RCS), which provide Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) with a means of transitioning voice and messaging services into an all-IP and LTE world, has gathered significant pace in America, Asia and Europe. Carriers from the around the globe supporting the RCS standard include AT&T, Bell Mobility, Bharti Airtel, Deutsche Telekom, KPN, KT Corporation, LG Uplus (LGU+), Orange, Orascom Telecom, Rogers Communications, SFR, SK Telecom, Telecom Italia, Telefónica, TeliaSonera, Telus, Verizon and Vodafone.[4]
RCS LAUNCHES
Vodafone Spain launched the beta version of RCS, branded joyn™, in the beginning of 2012, followed by Movistar (Telefonica) in June 2012 and Orange Spain in November 2012.
Vodafone Germany also launched RCS services under the brand joyn in August 2012, followed by Deutsche Telekom in February 2013.
MetroPCS launched joyn™ branded RCS in the United States in November 2012.
SK Telecom, KT and LG U+ launched joyn services in South Korea on December 2012.[5]
GSMA RCS accreditation [edit]
The RCS Interop and Testing (IOT) accreditation process was started by the GSMA in order to improve the quality of testing, increase transparency, drive scale, minimize complexity and accelerate time-to-market (TTM) of joyn services. Companies need to undertake the IOT process from the GSMA to apply for a license to use the service mark joyn.
"Accredited" means that the device, client or network has undertaken a series of test cases (150 to 300) in a specific set of conditions, provided test results and traces that have been analysed by the GSMA RCS IOT team and any IOT issues arising resolved with the submitter.[6]
Ecosystem: Operators, Mobile Phone and Client Manufacturers [edit]
- List of current accreditations for Operators (networks)[7]
| Company name | Network brand name | Country | Accreditation type | Accreditation level | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vodafone Group | Vodafone-Spain | Spain | Provisional | joyn Hot Fixes | Approved (valid until 03.04.13) |
| Vodafone Group | Vodafone-Deutschland | Germany | Provisional | joyn Hot Fixes | Approved (valid until 13.09.13) |
| Vodacom Group Pty Ltd (Vodafone Group) | Vodacom South Africa | South Africa | Provisional | joyn Hot Fixes | Approved (valid until 20.11.13) |
| Telefonica España S.A | Movistar | Spain | Full | joyn Hot Fixes | Accreditation submission being processed |
| Orange | Orange Brand Services Limited | Spain | Provisional | joyn Hot Fixes | Approved (valid until 22.06.13) |
| Deutsche Telekom AG | Deutsche Telekom | Germany | Provisional | joyn | Approved (valid until 28.11.13) |
| MetroPCS Wireless | MetroPCS | USA | Provisional | joyn Hot Fixes | Approved (valid until 21.02.14) |
- List of current accreditations for joyn enabled devices[7]
| Company name | Hardware Model | Accredited networks used | Accreditation type | Accreditation level | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SONY Mobile Communications | XPERIA T, XPERIA J | Vodafone-Spain, Movistar, Orange Brand Services Limited | Full | joyn Hot Fixes | Approved (awarded 15.11.12) |
| LG Electronics | LG-P760 | Vodafone-Spain, Movistar, Orange Brand Services Limited | Full | joyn Hot Fixes | Approved (awarded 19.11.12) |
| Nokia Corporation | Lumia 920, Lumia 820, Lumia 620 | Vodafone-Spain, Movistar, Orange Brand Services Limited | Full | joyn Hot Fixes | Approved (awarded 05.12.12) |
| Samsung Electronics Co Ltd | GT-I9300 | Vodafone-Spain, Movistar | Full | joyn | Approved (awarded 23.10.12) |
| HTC Corporation | Z520e | Vodafone-Spain | Provisional | joyn | Approved (valid until 14.09.13) |
| Samsung Electronics Co Ltd | GT-I9100 | Vodafone-Spain | Provisional | joyn | Approved (valid until 06.04.13) |
| Nokia Corporation | Nokia 700 | Vodafone-Spain | Provisional | joyn | Approved (valid until 03.05.13) |
| Huawei Technologies Co.Ltd. | U8815 Asura | Vodafone-Spain | Provisional | joyn | Approved (valid until 03.05.13) |
- Lists of current accreditations for RCS-e client manufacturers (clients)[7]
| Company Name | Product Name | Mobile OS, Software version starts from | Hardware Model | Terminal profile | Accredited networks used | Accreditation type | Accreditation level | Accreditation status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SONY Mobile Communications | XPERIA RCSe Client | Android versions 4.0.4, RCS Client version 2.4.9 | XPERIA T, XPERIA J | STANDARD (IM/Chat, FileTransfer, Image Share, Video Share) | Vodafone-Spain, Movistar, Orange Brand Services Limited | Full | joyn Hot Fixes | Approved (awarded 15.11.12) |
| WIT Software | WIT Mobile Communicator for Android | Android versions 2.2, 2.3 and 4.0, RCS-e Client version v1.3 | Android Smartphone | STANDARD (IM/Chat, FileTransfer, Image Share, Video Share) | Vodafone-Spain, Movistar, Orange Brand Services Limited | Full | joyn Hot Fixes | Approved (awarded 15.11.12) |
| LG Electronics | LG RCS-e Client | Android IceCream Sandwich, Device software version P76010a, LG RCS-e client LGE-Arpeggio/v2.0 | LG-P760 | STANDARD (IM/Chat, FileTransfer, Image Share, Video Share) | Vodafone-Spain, Movistar, Orange Brand Services Limited | Full | joyn Hot Fixes | Approved (awarded 19.11.12) |
| Nokia Corporation | Nokia Windows Phone RCS-e Client | Windows Phone 8, Device software version 1232.12.9200.9827.1286, RCS-e client version NWIN-1.0 | Lumia 920, Lumia 820, Lumia 620 | STANDARD (IM/Chat, FileTransfer, Image Share, Video Share) | Vodafone-Spain, Movistar, Orange Brand Services Limited | Full | joyn Hot Fixes | Approved (awarded 05.12.12) |
| Samsung Electronics Co Ltd | Samsung RCSe client | Android Jelly Bean, Device software version I9300XXELR2, Samsung RCS-e client 3.1 (JB) | GT-I9300 | STANDARD (IM/Chat, FileTransfer, Image Share, Video Share) | Vodafone-Spain, Movistar, Orange Brand Services Limited | Full | joyn Hot Fixes | Approved (awarded 18.12.12) |
| HTC Corporation | HTC One | Android ICS, Device software version 140567 (HTCRCSe-1.01), RCS-e client version v2.4.11 | Z520e | STANDARD (IM/Chat, FileTransfer, Image Share, Video Share) | Vodafone-Spain, Movistar, Orange Brand Services Limited | Full | joyn Hot Fixes | Approved (awarded 21.12.12) |
| Neusoft Mobile Solutions Oy | Silta RCS-e client for Android | Android versions 2.3.x, 4.0 and 4.1, RCS Client version 1.0.1307 | Android Smartphone | STANDARD (IM/Chat, FileTransfer, Image Share, Video Share) | Orange Brand Services Limited, Vodafone-Spain, Movistar | Full | joyn Hot Fixes | Approved (awarded 27.02.13) |
| Summit Tech Communications | Summit RCS-e Client | 2.2 Froyo, 2.3 Gingerbread, and 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and 4.1 Jelly Bean,, RCS Client version 3.0.8 | Android Smartphone | STANDARD (IM/Chat, FileTransfer, Image Share, Video Share) | Vodafone-Spain, Movistar | Full | joyn Hot Fixes | Approved (awarded 13.03.13) |
| Samsung Electronics Co Ltd | Galaxy S2 | Android Ice Cream Sandwich, Device software version I9100BULRB, Samsung RCS-e client GA ICS 1.0 | GT-I9100 | STANDARD (IM/Chat, FileTransfer, Image Share, Video Share) | Vodafone-Spain | Provisional | joyn | Approved (valid until 06.04.13) |
| Nokia Corporation | Nokia RCS-e Client | Nokia Belle Feature Pack 1, Device software version 112.010.1403, RCS-e client version 1.1.18 | Nokia 700 | STANDARD (IM/Chat, FileTransfer, Image Share, Video Share) | Vodafone-Spain | Provisional | joyn | Approved (valid until 03.05.13) |
| Summit Tech Communications | Summit RCS-e Client | iOS 4.3+, RCS Client version 1.6 | Apple iPhone | BASIC (IM/Chat, FileTransfer) | Vodafone-Spain | Provisional | joyn | Approved (valid until 03.07.13) |
| WIT Software | WIT Mobile Communicator for iPhone | Apple iOS 4.3+, RCS Client version v1.2.27 | Apple iPhone | STANDARD (IM/Chat, FileTransfer, Image Share, Video Share) | Vodafone-Spain | Provisional | joyn | Approved (valid until 09.08.13) |
| Deutsche Telekom AG | Telekom Joyn Client for Android Devices | Android versions 2.3.x & 4.0.x, RCS Client version 4.0.36 build 3382 | Android Smartphone | STANDARD (IM/Chat, FileTransfer, Image Share, Video Share) | Vodafone-Spain | Provisional | joyn | Approved (valid until 10.09.13) |
| Huawei Technologies Co.Ltd. | Huawei RCS-e client | Android 2.2-4.1, Device software version V100, RCS-e, RCS-e client version v5 | U8815 Asura | BASIC (IM/Chat, FileTransfer) | Vodafone-Spain | Provisional | joyn | Approved (valid until 16.10.13) |
| Summit Tech Multimedia Communications Inc. | MetroPCS RCS joyn client | Android 2.3+, RCS Client version 2.10.2 | Android Smartphone | STANDARD (IM/Chat, FileTransfer, Image Share, Video Share) | Vodafone-Spain | Provisional | joyn | Approved (valid until 29.11.13) |
References [edit]
- ^ a b Joyn, un servicio de mensajería instantánea limitado a las operadoras móviles - RTVE.es
- ^ "RCS Specifications". GSMA. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
- ^ "Rich Communications – past, present & future". GSMA. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
- ^ "Mobile Operators Show Increased Momentum In Rich Communications". PR Newswire. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
- ^ "Korean operators launch joyn service". Telecompaper. 27 December 2012. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
- ^ "GSMA RCS Interop and Testing". GSMA. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
- ^ a b c "Accreditation". GSMA. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
- ^ "Rich Communications". GSMA. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
- ^ "About joyn". GSMA. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
- ^ "Strategic Rationale". GSMA. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
