14 DAY TRIAL // Samsung recently announced it acquired NewNet Communication Technologies, a Canadian company specialized in Rich Communications Services (RCS). In fact, NewNet is known as one of the leaders in RCS solutions, which is probably one of the reasons Samsung has decided to buy the company.
The acquisition is meant to strengthen Samsung's position in North America and the company's commitment to RCS. For those unaware, RCS is a messaging standard set by GSMA (GSM Association) designed to enable the sending of texts, group chat, as well as the sharing of media files.
However, the main difference between RCS and other messaging apps is the fact that the former allows users to communicate on any network of carriers that already have RCS infrastructure active.
By acquiring the Canadian company, Samsung plans to offer RCS solutions to those carriers that lack these services. According to the South Korean company, its acquisition will help the deployment of RCS-enabled networks at a faster pace.
RCS messaging is far from being a standard for now
In the United States, some carriers already offer RCS messaging, but the service is only compatible with a handful of smartphones. Not to mention that RSC messaging is not compatible between various carriers' networks, which means you will only be able to use it with people that are on the same network as you.
That being said, even if Samsung wants to be the company that offers “interoperable server solutions for mobile operators that do not already have their own RCS infrastructure,” what about those carriers that already have RCS infrastructure but it doesn't work on any other network but their own?
It remains to be seen how Samsung will be able to juggle with this major issue when it comes to RCS messaging in the United States.
It's also worth noting that Samsung confirmed that the newly acquired NewNet Canada would continue to operate independently as a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Canada. The leadership will be maintained as well.