Now you can get SMS+

(Fornebu, 23 June 2017) Video calls, location sharing, group messages and chats: the new features available on your mobile with SMS+.

In partnership with Google, Telenor is now offering a completely new type of IP-based text messaging service. The name of this new feature is SMS+.

– SMS+ is based on Rich Communications Services (RCS) and will change the way Norwegians think about text messaging. SMS+ combines the traditional text message format with the option to share content including high-quality videos, photos, files and audio messages. For us as the mobile operator, RCS is a new opportunity to deliver exciting, high-quality features, says Chief Technology Officer Magnus Zetterberg.

Automatically available
SMS+ also makes it possible to chat with one person or a group, while seeing the status of a message (writing/sent/received/read), as well as sharing your GPS position and files.

– This is a unique service which goes beyond standard text messaging to provide a completely new mobile experience – across mobile phones and networks, says Bjørn Ivar Moen, Head of the Mobile Division at Telenor Norway.

SMS+ will automatically be available to customers as an integrated part of their mobile subscription – and will only be limited by the capacity of their mobile phone. At the moment, SMS+ is supported by the newer phone models from Sony, Samsung and Huawei.

– Customers will soon not need to download and install the service. They will get this as what we call a "green button experience", and can start using the service immediately, although both of the parties in the dialogue must have access to SMS+ to use the service, says Moen. 

He points out that if the customer wants to start using the service at this early stage before it is activated on the phone, they can do this by downloading Android Messages from Google Play.

Range of options
The RCS technology will also open up a range of options to the business market, giving clients the opportunity to use SMS+ to send visual messages to their customers, by using the direct Call to Action buttons (CTA) in a message.

RCS is a technology that has been developed by the industry organisation GSMA.

– The technology needs to become as widespread as possible with the mobile operators if customers are to gain the maximum enjoyment from it. We are now working on giving speech a whole new dimension with RCS. The RCS technology offers an excellent range of options, and there are exciting times ahead, says Moen.

Facts about SMS+

Anders Krokan, Head of Information for Telenor Norway
Tel.: +47 952 09 037, email: anders.krokan@telenor.com
Also visit our newsroom and follow us on Twitter @TelenorN_presse