Fraud costs the global messaging industry an estimated $7.7 billion annually in lost revenue. To help combat this, MEF has unveiled the Trust in Enterprise Messaging service which is backed by an industry code of conduct for application to person (A2P) SMS.
The code outlines best practice for actors operating within the A2P SMS sector and is based on 10 principles which offer guidance across commercial,, procedural, and technical requirements.
To develop the code, MEf worked with more than 30 members of its “Future of Messaging Programme” group. This included the likes of Telefonica, Telenor, and Vodafone along with a number of SMS aggregators and signalling providers.
As demand for enterprise messaging via SMS continues to grow - with 1.67 trillion messages sent in 2017 according to MobileSquared – there is need for a code that helps both protect consumers from harm and protect the industry’s revenue, MEF said.
The code will be overseen by an independent Compliance Committee, which will include representatives from trade associations, independent lawyers, and local regulators, MEF added.
Launch signatories include Apprentice Valley, BulkSMS, CLX Communications, Dimoco, Gemalto, IMImobile Intelligent Networks, iTouch Messaging Services, Kaleyra, MMD Smart, Modica, Movitext, Openmarket, Quiubas, rdcom, RealNetworks, TWW, Tyntec and XConnect.
TEM will act as a self-regulatory service in order to accelerate market clean-up and help educate those who buy enterprise messaging solutions about the issues surrounding fraud in this sector. Launch signatories include market leaders from the messaging industry that send over 60 billion A2P SMS messages a year when combined.
MEF will now roll out the Code and its associated TEM Badge with an industry education programme as well as activate local projects that uphold the principles of the Code.
MEF’s COO Joanne Lacey said: “Today’s launch of Trust in Enterprise Messaging is the result of three years of collaboration of the Future of Messaging Programme’s fraud management working group which brings together competitors and customers alike to develop industry solutions to tackle fraud.
“We encourage all messaging stakeholders to get involved to sign up to the Code and urge enterprises to recognise the proactive leadership of TEM badge holders to accelerate the adoption of best practice and actively reduce the impact of fraud in this key growth area of the mobile ecosystem.”
