The fact you have something  (no matter how great or amazing it truly is) means nothing if it isn’t used properly. Put 99.99% of us in an F1 car and whilst we may look good (stationary) it’s not going to be much use at getting us through a 50 lap race if we’re going to be crashing at the first corner. Which we would.

Sorry folks, the simple fact is that most of us just wouldn’t be as good at driving an F1 car as we think we might be. It actually really is difficult. The same basis holds true for the world of SMS firewalls and monetization projects. More on that a little later…

Mobile network operators (MNOs) the world over are slowly starting to understand the opportunities Application-to-Person (A2P) SMS provides thanks to the work VOX and others are doing but unquestionably, there is still a very long way to go. Consumer trust is of course a big part of the equation (ensuring SMS channels remain clean and free of spam etc. to ensure great customer experience) but at the end of the day, it’s the extra margin that MNOs are hunting – once they wake up to the opportunity that is.

According to our in-depth research in conjunction with Mobilesquared, 38% of MNOs have an unlocked and insecure network where SMS is concerned. No firewall, nothing. But there are encouraging developments.

In the coming five years, a further 151 operators are forecasted to deploy a next-generation SMS firewall, taking the total to 542, or 72.3% of total mobile operators. Two trillion A2P SMS are projected to be sent in 2024. Total A2P spend will reach $21.14 billion and it’s thought mobile operators will receive 85% of this. A definite huge improvement on where we were but a few years ago but we can’t all kick back and celebrate just yet.

Revenue leakage due to grey routes is stubbornly high and the more monetization of SMS channels comes in, the greater SMS become an attractive target for bad actors wishing to capitalise on the opportunity by sending SMS any which way but via official clean, monetized routes. Money, as always, proves to be a powerful motivating factor. Grey route usage remains stubbornly high and getting on for $8 billion a year is lost to it on a yearly basis. So what REALLY needs to be done to stamp it out?

Well, having a next-generation SMS firewall is one thing but having a fantastic related managed service provided by a company with a long history in understanding exactly how bad actors operate and how to stamp their practices out, is quite another. A firewall is only as good as its algorithm, rules deployed on it, the constant monitoring and clear reporting. SMS delivery is a constantly evolving environment and a one-off deployment is simply not going to cut it. And this is exactly where we, at the VOX Group, come in.

We have been in the business of protecting and monetizing Voice and SMS channels for MNOs for a decade. We know exactly what to look for and the perfect recent example, showcasing just how much of a powerhouse A2P SMS can be if done and managed right too, is our collaboration and impact delivered to one of the largest operators in Brazil.

Thanks to the collaboration between the two companies, the MNO’s A2P SMS network and over 50 million mobile subscribers are protected and monitored through Vox Technologies’ VOX360 anti-fraud platform which uses sophisticated data analytics, business intelligence and AI technologies to mitigate and prevent fraudulent activities. Billions of SMS are analysed each month to ensure that all messages are delivered to the MNO’s end users through official channels and in total security.

Within one quarter of deploying our SMS firewall, A2P SMS revenues had doubled. Within six months they has increased 250% and within one year, that uplift is expected to increase to over 350%. Over 700% within two years. Impressive figures indeed but these are not untypical of what can be expected once we deploy our solutions and associated managed service into an MNO’s network with no pre-existing security.

More details on out partnership can be found here.

While it might seem difficult to achieve, what we realized with one of the largest operators in brazil is completely possible to replicate due to our comprehensive A2P solution, addressing both SMS and the recent growing phenomenon of  Flash Calls (user verification via OTT missed call). Apart from ensuring SMS bypass and fraud mitigation, our solution is also capable of giving operators the capability to monetize A2P Voice traffic, or block the said flash calls, steering them towards the A2P SMS channel.

If you are a mobile operator feeling the big squeeze in some of your traditional revenue generating areas then do not ignore the obvious – the millions of SMS messages being delivered to your subscribers by businesses from around the world. We make sure you receive your rightful piece of the revenue pie and customer satisfaction remains high, the SMS channels being clear of spam and fraud attempts. 

While the area of A2P SMS represents a significant optimization opportunity for operators, the field of A2P Voice (Flash calls) represents the next biggest chapter in A2P monetization world. Compared to A2P SMS, Flash calls (A2P Voice) are more cost-effective and provide better safety and customer experience for customers, creating a clear incentive for enterprises to adopt it. The market size of flash calls is estimated to be of 5 bn calls in 2022, growing 25+ times over next years, reaching 128 bn calls in 2026 (128% CAGR). More amazing news are here to come in the field of A2P Voice, as more OTT players are launching Flash Calling as a means for 2FA / OTP. Keep up for similar news about our great successful monetization partnerships, in both A2P SMS & A2P Voice.

Written by Ehsan Ahmadi, CEO and Founder of Vox Carrier