Last year the industry continued to debate whether RCS, branded joyn™ by the GSMA, would take hold as subscribers' go-to communication tool in the face of growing OTT options. Though joyn is yet to be a household name, it certainly gained significant momentum in 2013, with 85 operators committed to launch across 35 countries by 2015.

Written by Rafael A. Junquera, Director of editorial at TeleSeman.com 

The debate over how mobile operators can offset Over-the-Top (OTT) providers is ongoing as these players are capturing smartphone users, and operators are debating a solution to the dilemma through their events and forums. 

In the world of mobile communications, competition isn’t what it used to be. Historically, the greatest threat to regional carriers’ profitability came from national operators providing the latest handsets, aggressive marketing campaigns, and wide reach. Regional carriers have competed with these large, established players through superior customer service, a strong local presence, better networks, and more personal relationships with subscribers.

As is typical at the beginning of the year, wireless industry experts have been busy making predictions for 2013. It's no surprise that RCS is expected to see continued adoption this year, after U.S.–based MetroPCS and operators throughout Europe jumped on board in 2012.