In order to sell RCS in the connected car, we need to get biblical

Can we explain the possibilities of Rich Communications Services (RCS) to the connected car user, a comms company asked?

Service providers are struggling to get clients excited about this killer app. Which is a shame, because this was supposed to be the weapon the mobile operators would use to the back control of the ‘content’ market, which was hi-jacked from them by the ‘over the top’ marauders from Facebook, Google and other social media companies.

So. Yes, we said, we’d love to, by reference to a journey we are all familiar with - The Nativity.

But then we hit a problem. The ‘expert’ wouldn’t leave the swamp of passion killing phrases such as functionality, enhancing experiences and compelling branded content. Which mean that sadly we had to part company. 

Luckily, we did find some companies with a sense of humour. Will Craig, managing director of LeaseFetcher, says that RCS could help Mary and Joseph find their self driving donkey, as they begin their epic journey. Apps such as TomTomGo could be found within RCS without having to toggle in and out, says Craig. This means the nightmare of Bethlehem at Census Times and the inevitable council roadworks will cause no problems for the donkey and no batteries will be drained.

With his hands free, Joseph has nothing to occupy his mind, and he soon begins to question Mary’s implausible story about ‘immaculate conception’. He searches for the following chatbots within RCS: family law, DNA heritage, private detectives.

Meanwhile, Mary understandably wants to secure a room and, according to some biblical scholars, the original plan was to stay with relatives. As they near the destination, Mary sends Maps to her cousin, with ‘are we nearly there yet?’ style notations. Then, as she starts to see signs for the Bethlehem one way system, she begins to send more urgent ‘Quick Response Buttons’ in a desperate attempt to rouse her forgetful relatives.

All of this can be done without quitting RCS, which saves on time and battery. There is even an option to go into video, if the couple need to watch any ‘How to Sleep in a Stable’ films on Youtube.

Meanwhile, further back, the Three Kings are following Yonder Star, a new app within RCS. The app charts the way for the not so wise men, who left home without having bought their presents. Luckily, within the portfolio of rich communication services there is the option to get contextualised information about the route. The augmented reality they seek is shops that will be open late and selling any kinds of gifts that include Gold, Frankincense or Myrrh. As a last resort, their comms service provider might be able to give them a gift token, which they could Bluetooth over once they find Joseph and Mary. Through a shared space they could all agree on what’s a reasonable amount to spend, so there’s no gifting gamesmanship. Messiahs are so difficult to buy presents for anyway.

Meanwhile, King Herod has been following the Angel Gabriel on Celestial media and feels a bit threatened. He uses the conferencing option with RCS to organise an online meeting of mercenaries.

When Joseph and Mary get pulled over by Bethlehem cops, they are asked to produced documents. They’re all in a carousel in the RCS but Joseph can’t remember how to access them. Luckily B-Secur had installed some security algorithms that reach Joseph’s heart beat and verify that he is authorised. Once the Connected Donkey had recognised Joseph and let him on, it would set itself to his settings. The saddle position and heating will be tailored automatically, ‘ear’ mirrors will adjust accordingly and radio stations and Spotify lists will show on the On-Donkey Entertainment System, says CEO Alan Foreman.

How was Joseph and Mary’s stay at The Inn? Were they happy with the stable conditions? Did the Three Wise Men manage to get parking space and pick up their gifts on time? You will have to read Proxyclick - an app available within all good rich communications services. Ask your mobile operator for details. But if they start talking about ‘compelling content’ and ‘enhancing experiences’ tell them to hit the road.