As a Global Enterprise CPaaS Messaging solution provider, Syniverse in partnership with Google has developed a Message verification solution for A2P SMS messages called Verified SMS.

Verified SMS, or vSMS, is a feature of the Google Messages client on Android mobile phones that adds rich branding in the form of a Business logo and name, Sender and message authentication to A2P SMS services.  It provides verification of A2P SMS messages sent from a registered Sender ID belonging to a Business that has been approved by Google. The Google Messages client also provide an optional Spam Protection feature that end-users can enable for additional peace of mind. The Business’s Sender ID can be a shortcode, Longcode (Toll-free number) or alphanumeric. This feature also allows the user to verify a Sender ID by its registered logo and company information thus making them safer and more trustworthy

For each A2P SMS message that is sent to a user that has enabled Verify SMS, Verified SMS ensures that the content of the message is sent by that verified business.

Verified SMS is currently available in the following Countries: USA, Canada, UK, Mexico, Brazil, France, India, Spain, Philippines and Italy.

 What can you do with Verified SMS?

 Send a verified message to end-users with a verified Sender Address

• Verified message sender badge lets consumers know they can trust the message
• Business name and logo provides at-a-glance branding
• Detailed link previews allow consumers to see what web content you’re trying to serve

• Enhanced metrics enable businesses to track which messages were successfully verified

What are the benefits of Verified SMS

• Message Integrity: Verified SMS increases the Confidence in A2P SMS for both the user and the Business. Adds a layer of trust and verification to SMS messages to mitigate fraud and spoofing of messages
• Easy to Consume: The Verified SMS feature is an integral part of the SMS service on SCG. As such, integrating and consuming this service is a relatively simple, low code API integration. Verified SMS does not require an application from the Business. User just need to have a Google Messages client with Verified SMS enabled..
• Support for new and existing Senders: Customers can enable Verified SMS on any new or existing Sender ID. Sender ID can be a Shortcode, Toll-Free numbers, or an Alphanumeric Sender.
• Cost effective: For a relatively small price, customers can provide a compelling value to their SMS engagement strategy by increasing confidence in users engaging the Business and consequently increasing adoption and conversation rates

How it works

Syniverse has developed a simple, low code integration for Customers using the SCG Omni-channel messaging APIs. The Verified SMS is enabled as part of the SMS API endpoint. For all this to work, the end-user must have a Android device with the latest version of Google Messages client which is available in the Google Play store. The end-user must also have enabled Verified SMS feature in the Google Messages client.

When the message is received on the device, the user will see the Business’s logo information and also a badge on header of the message app which when clicked on will display confirmation of a Verified SMS (See below). For more use case, please visit  https://developers.google.com/business-communications/verified-sms/files/use-cases-and-verticals.pdf

Verified SMS Message Flow

How to get started

To get started with Verified SMS service, contact your Syniverse Sales representative. As a prerequisite to using this service, Customers need to be subscribed to the Syniverse Cloud-based Omni-channel messaging service and had to have executed a valid term of service agreement with Syniverse

Below are what you will need to use Verified SMS Service:

• A Syniverse Omni-channel Messaging Account with subscription to run A2P SMS
• A registered Verified SMS Agent setup by Syniverse for the customers (see details below on the requirements for registering a Verified SMS Agent)
• Syniverse provisioned A2P Sender ID(s) for the Verified SMS agent (see below on supported Sender IDs)
• Familiarity with our Omni-Channel API Reference documentation.

Creating an Agent for Verified SMS

 A critical part of enabling Verifies SMS is the registration of Customer Brand information and Sender IDs. Below is the required information needed to create a Verified SMS Agent

A Syniverse Implementation manager will work with you to gather the necessary information needed to get started.

Below is a list of information we will need:

1. • Company Name:
   • Brand Name: (The name of the brand that the agent represents)
   • Brand website:
   • Authorized Name: (First and Last name)
   • Authorized Email Address:
   • Service Agent Name: (The name users see in their conversations with the agent. Maximum 40 characters. For example: ACME Bank)
   • Service Agent Description: (A description users can see in their conversations with the agent. Maximum 100 characters.)
   • A Logo URL: (224x224 px PNG, maximum 30 KB)- A publicly available URL for the logo users see in their conversations with the agent. Displayed as a circle
   • Sender ID: List of unique, non-shared sender IDs (short, long (E.164), and alphanumeric codes) and the ISO 3166 Alpha-2 country codes for the countries that each sender ID operates in. 

Please note that Shared Sender IDs across Verified SMS Agents or Sender IDs shared across service providers cannot be used for Verified SMS. The Sender ID have to be unique to an Agent.

Customers can expect to receive an email from Google to verify and approve the use of their branding assets as well as confirm that they want Syniverse to process this feature on their behalf

Send a Verified SMS to a recipient

To send a verified SMS message programmatically, check out the article on How to send a Verified SMS

FAQs

Who can use Verified SMS?

Any Business running an A2P SMS service can use the Verified SMS service available in the participating countries

Which Countries can I use Verified SMS in?

Currently, Verified SMS is available in the following countries Italy, UK, US, Canada, France, Spain, Philippines, India, Brazil, Italy and Mexico

What does the Business need to do to use Verified SMS?

The Business needs to register an Verified SMS Agent for their Brand and Sender IDs for sending A2P SMS messages

What is an Agent?

An agent is a conversational representation of a brand (and all the infrastructure that powers the representation) that users interact with on their devices

What device does the end-user need to support Verified SMS?

Any Android device that is running the latest version of Google’s Messages client.

Can I verify MMS messages?

Verification of MMS messages are not support. If you send a MMS using a Sender ID that is registered with your Verified SMS Agent, the message will show unverified on the user’s handset

Does using Verified SMS add latency to my message delivery?

Yes, the verification of SMS requires additional processing and you can expect an additional latency of between 300 - 700 ms depending on volume of messages and type of message.

Can I send Long messages, and will it be verified?

Yes. provided the user's operator supports Long messages. Each fragment of a Long message needs to be verified independently. It is highly recommended to avoid sending Long (multi-fragmented) messages to be verified as some Operators/devices may not be able to assemble fragmented messages in the correct order and this can result in the message not being verified.

How many Sender IDs can I register with my Verified SMS Agent?

Customers can register as many Sender IDs as they want. It is highly recommended that each Sender ID is unique to a program to ensure verification is done consistently

How can I get started with Verified SMS?

Please contact a Syniverse Sales Rep for more information