Look out operator messaging, OTT is coming to eat your lunch and dominate the CPaaS market. According to research by Juniper Research, Global OTT business messaging traffic is set to see a 172% increase over the next five years, driven by stable pricing and the growing use of CPaaS by businesses.
The research company predicts that OTT business messaging will rise from 93 billion in 2023, to 254 billion by 2027. This growth of 172% will be driven by increased availability of open OTT messaging APIs and competitive pricing models; creating a viable rich media alternative to established operator-led channels, such as SMS.
OTT business messaging enables brands and enterprises to communicate with customers via the use of third-party messaging applications, such as WhatsApp and WeChat.
Download the free whitepaper: Evolving the Conversation with OTT Business Messaging
OTT platforms to provide consistent pricing for CPaaS platforms
The research identified consistently low OTT business messaging pricing as a key driver of adoption by CPaaS (Communications Platforms-as-a-Service) platforms. As OTT messaging pricing is set by the platform itself rather than operators, this provides a far less volatile pricing model compared to SMS.
Research author Elisha Sudlow-Poole says: “The volatility in wholesale SMS business messaging pricing provides an opportunity for OTT messaging platforms to grow their revenue, by offering stability for CPaaS platforms when negotiating traffic subscriptions with enterprises.”
OTT apps to evolve the business messaging experience
The research predicted that the advanced security and rich media properties of OTT business messaging will attract high-spending enterprise users to leverage these services. Specifically, supporting rich security features such as brand authentication will boost user activity, as brands increasingly communicate with users through verified channels.
Furthermore, the report identified that the increased processing and strict channel verification systems of OTT messaging applications will be key to ensuring that OTT communications are not susceptible to the same fraudulent activity found on channels such as SMS.
Additionally, it urged CPaaS platforms to develop advanced security features, including AI-based fraud prevention, that go beyond the capabilities of the OTT messaging channel to provide value-added services for enterprises.
