The GSMA has finalized the RCS Universal Profile 4.0 standard, whose most notable advancement is video calls initiated from the chat (MIVC). This feature promises to turn any text conversation, individual or group, into an interoperable video call with a single click, synchronizing everything in the same history. Theoretically, it is the definitive bridge to unify communications between devices. However, its future does not depend on the technology, which is already ready, but on a corporate decision: Apple and Google must implement it in their systems. 📱
Beyond video: the technical capabilities of the new profile 🚀
The MIVC specification within RCS 4.0 allows initiating a video session directly from the messaging interface, maintaining the conversation context and participants. It is not a separate application, but a natural extension of the chat. The update is not limited to video; it also standardizes the rich text format (bold, italics) and substantially improves multimedia file sharing, allowing images and videos to be sent in near-original quality. This elevates RCS to a modern and complete messaging standard, technically comparable to proprietary applications like WhatsApp or iMessage.
The battle for the platform: interoperability under control ⚔️
The existence of the standard contrasts with the real fragmentation. The lack of immediate adoption by Apple and Google reveals the true battle: control of the communication platform as a closed ecosystem. For the giants, total interoperability cedes part of their user retention power. Every decision to implement or delay an open standard artificially shapes our digital experience, prioritizing market strategies over universal connectivity. RCS 4.0, therefore, is more than a technical improvement; it is a thermometer of how far corporations will allow truly free and unified communication.
Can the integration of video calls into the RCS 4.0 standard challenge the dominance of closed messaging apps and create more universal and inclusive communication?
(PS: trying to ban a nickname on the internet is like trying to cover the sun with a finger... but in digital)