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Modern life, both personal and professional, runs on messaging. It has quietly become one of the most frequently used tools on our phones. Over the past decade at Rakuten Viber, we have watched messaging evolve from a useful notification channel into a core part of how businesses operate.That evolution is the focus of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://b2b.viber.com/simplifying-messaging-for-smarter-customer-growth">our latest research</a> with Omdia. Surveying 271 senior decision-makers across industries, the study reveals an important shift: messaging is now critical to customer engagement, but many organizations are still catching up operationally. How companies respond will define who leads in this messaging-driven era.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><a href="https://b2b.viber.com/simplifying-messaging-for-smarter-customer-growth" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img style="aspect-ratio:1200/627;" src="https://env-stage-hosting.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/1200_627_1_fa1e3ace5a.png" alt="1200_627 1.png" srcset="https://env-stage-hosting.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_1200_627_1_fa1e3ace5a.png 245w,https://env-stage-hosting.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_1200_627_1_fa1e3ace5a.png 500w,https://env-stage-hosting.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/medium_1200_627_1_fa1e3ace5a.png 750w,https://env-stage-hosting.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/large_1200_627_1_fa1e3ace5a.png 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="1200" height="627"></a></figure><h2>Messaging has become the front door to customer experience</h2>A typical customer interaction today often starts and ends within a single messaging thread—from a delivery notification and quick reply to a request for support or a return. What once required multiple systems (email, call centers, web portals) now happens inside one conversation.This shift reflects customers’ desire for simplicity, meeting them in the familiar environment of a messaging app. Yet, the way many organizations manage this channel hasn't kept pace. Our research highlights this operational gap:<ul><li>33% of businesses report inconsistent customer communication across channels</li><li>Only 27% say their messaging experiences are consistent and predictable</li></ul>Messaging may be where the customer journey begins, but the systems behind it are often fragmented.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img style="aspect-ratio:1920/1080;" src="https://env-stage-hosting.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Cris_blog_in_blog_graphic_1_4_cfa406dd10.png" alt="Cris' blog_in-blog graphic 1 (4).png" srcset="https://env-stage-hosting.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Cris_blog_in_blog_graphic_1_4_cfa406dd10.png 245w,https://env-stage-hosting.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Cris_blog_in_blog_graphic_1_4_cfa406dd10.png 500w,https://env-stage-hosting.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/medium_Cris_blog_in_blog_graphic_1_4_cfa406dd10.png 750w,https://env-stage-hosting.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/large_Cris_blog_in_blog_graphic_1_4_cfa406dd10.png 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="1920" height="1080"><figcaption>The gap lies between businesses having inconsistent communication but wanting to provide a consistent experience</figcaption></figure><h2>Fragmentation: The unintended outcome of digital growth</h2>Few companies designed a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.forbusiness.viber.com/en/blog/post/why-brands-need-to-embrace-super-apps/">cohesive messaging ecosystem</a>. It often grew organically: a marketing team introduces one tool, customer support deploys another, and product teams integrate in-app chat. Businesses accumulate a mix of platforms including SMS, messaging apps, social channels, and notifications.While each tool solves a specific problem, together they create a complicated environment where conversations are spread across multiple systems. Customers experience this as repetition and disconnected messages. For businesses, the result is declining engagement and operational complexity.<h2>Messaging is moving from communication channel to business workflow</h2>The next phase of messaging adoption has already begun, moving beyond just updates and campaigns. It is increasingly becoming part of how companies execute everyday business processes.Customers now rely on messaging to confirm deliveries, resolve support issues, receive personalized recommendations, and complete purchases within a conversation—a trend often described as <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.forbusiness.viber.com/en/blog/post/what-is-conversational-commerce/">conversational commerce</a>.The broader change is fundamentally operational: messaging is moving into areas traditionally handled by different systems, such as customer support, authentication, payments, and marketing automation.In practice, this means messaging is now part of the infrastructure of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.forbusiness.viber.com/en/blog/post/how-to-effectively-engage-your-audience-on-viber-without-overwhelming-them/">customer engagement</a>, not just a communication channel.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img style="aspect-ratio:1920/1080;" src="https://env-stage-hosting.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Cris_blog_in_blog_graphic_2_1_a88f180c97.png" alt="Cris' blog_in-blog graphic 2 (1).png" srcset="https://env-stage-hosting.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Cris_blog_in_blog_graphic_2_1_a88f180c97.png 245w,https://env-stage-hosting.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Cris_blog_in_blog_graphic_2_1_a88f180c97.png 500w,https://env-stage-hosting.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/medium_Cris_blog_in_blog_graphic_2_1_a88f180c97.png 750w,https://env-stage-hosting.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/large_Cris_blog_in_blog_graphic_2_1_a88f180c97.png 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="1920" height="1080"><figcaption>Messaging has evolved beyond "just communication"</figcaption></figure><h2>Automation, trust, and measurable outcomes</h2>As messaging embeds itself deeper into business processes, the expectations around its performance are changing. The question is no longer if messaging should be part of the strategy, but what it must deliver.Organizations expect messaging platforms to support several key outcomes simultaneously: automated customer journeys, personalized communication at scale, measurable revenue impact, and strong privacy and security standards. This is why 74% of businesses in the study plan to adopt at least one OTT messaging channel.Automation and AI will be significant in this evolution, but the goal is to combine technology with human expertise. This approach allows routine tasks to be handled automatically while preserving the human element customers still value for complex issues.<h2>Looking ahead: What the next 3–5 years will bring</h2>In 2026, Rakuten Viber <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.forbusiness.viber.com/en/blog/post/10-years-of-viber-business-messages/">marks a decade of business messaging</a> on the platform. Looking ahead, the future will be defined less by the number of channels available and more by how effectively businesses orchestrate them.Based on the research, three developments are likely to shape the future of business messaging:<ol><li>Messaging will become a managed capability: Organizations will consolidate fragmented systems into unified platforms that support multiple channels and teams.</li><li>Conversations will become a primary digital interface: Customers will increasingly complete everyday tasks within messaging environments, from purchases to service requests.</li><li>Trust will become a differentiator: Verified business identities, secure environments, and transparent practices will play a larger role in determining which brands customers choose to engage with.</li></ol><h2>A final thought</h2>Technology evolves quickly, but customer expectations remain consistent: people want communication that is clear, responsive, and trustworthy. Messaging, when implemented thoughtfully, can provide exactly that.The companies that succeed in the next decade will build systems that allow conversations with customers to happen naturally, consistently, and at scale.<figure class="table" style="width:100%;"><table class="ck-table-resized"><colgroup><col style="width:46.33%;"><col style="width:53.67%;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td>Make Messaging Your Growth Engine <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://b2b.viber.com/simplifying-messaging-for-smarter-customer-growth">Download the full report</a> powered by Omdia to learn how messaging is evolving and what businesses should prioritize next.&nbsp;</td><td><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:54.43%;"><img class="image_resized" style="aspect-ratio:607/475;" src="https://env-stage-hosting.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Ebook_Cover_f12735af85.png" alt="Ebook Cover.png" srcset="https://env-stage-hosting.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Ebook_Cover_f12735af85.png 199w,https://env-stage-hosting.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Ebook_Cover_f12735af85.png 500w," sizes="100vw" width="607" height="475"></figure></td></tr></tbody></table></figure>

Learn about the trends shaping the future of messaging from Rakuten Viber's Chief Revenue Officer, Cristina Constandache.

What the next 3–5 years will look like for messaging

Messaging at a crossroads: What the next decade of business conversations will look like

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Messaging at a crossroads: What the next decade of business conversations will look like

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