iWorld
Whatsapp message boom rings alarm bells for mobile operators
MUMBAI: Looks like Whatsapp is about to have the last word quite literally. A new study by Juniper Research predicts that over-the-top (OTT) business messaging will leap from 390 billion messages in 2025 to more than 560 billion by 2027, powered by WhatsApp’s cutthroat pricing play.
Juniper’s latest A2P & Business Messaging Market 2025–2030 report finds that Whatsapp’s authentication rates 50 to 90 per cent lower than traditional A2P SMS one-time passcodes are helping it corner a sizeable slice of the enterprise communication pie. With prices this low, businesses are flocking to Whatsapp for their verification and alert needs, edging telecom operators out of the conversation.
“By first securing authentication traffic, Whatsapp is laying the groundwork to move into higher-value business messaging,” said Juniper Research senior research analyst Molly Gatford. “Once enterprises are onboarded for authentication, WhatsApp must upsell to marketing use cases, where termination fees are far higher and the real revenue opportunity lies.”
That’s not good news for mobile network operators, who are already losing ground in the lucrative business messaging arena. Juniper Research warns that if operators don’t adapt, OTT platforms could completely dominate enterprise communication in just a few years.
The report suggests that to keep up, operators must rethink their pricing strategy moving from flat SMS rates to use case-based pricing across SMS and RCS (Rich Communication Services). This, analysts say, will help enterprises understand the added value of RCS and prevent further migration to OTT channels.
To pull this off, telcos will need to partner with technology providers capable of using AI-driven tools and behavioural analysis to classify messages by use case at scale ensuring fair and accurate billing. “By adopting a use case-based pricing strategy that is consistent across SMS and RCS, operators will enable enterprises to better assess RCS’s added value over SMS,” Gatford explained.
Juniper’s new market suite offers one of the most detailed assessments yet of the A2P and business messaging landscape, with over 146,000 datapoints across 61 countries. And the big takeaway? The future of business messaging may not be in your inbox, it’s already in your Whatsapp chats.
Gaming
Sony raises PS5 prices for second time in under a year
US disc edition jumps $100 to $649.99 as memory costs surge.
MUMBAI: Sony just hit the pause button on affordable gaming because when memory prices skyrocket, even the Playstation has to pay the premium. Sony has announced its second price increase for the Playstation 5 range in less than a year, citing pressures in the global economic landscape and a sharp rise in memory component costs driven by AI demand.
In the US, the PS5 disc edition will rise from $549.99 to $649.99, a $100 hike while the digital edition increases to $599.99. The more powerful PS5 Pro will jump $150 to $899.99. The Playstation Portal remote player will also rise by $50 to $249.99. The new prices take effect on 2 April 2026.
Similar increases have been applied in the UK (£90 per model), Europe and Japan. Sony last raised PS5 prices in the US in August 2025.
“We know that price changes impact our community, and after careful evaluation, we found this was a necessary step to ensure we can continue delivering innovative, high-quality gaming experiences to players worldwide,” Sony said in a blog post.
The hikes come amid an unprecedented surge in memory prices, as manufacturers prioritise supply for AI data centres. Analysts say Sony had likely secured price protections for components that have now expired, forcing the company to protect its hardware margins.
Ampere Analysis research director of games Piers Harding-Rolls told CNBC that further increases from Microsoft and Nintendo would not be surprising, though Nintendo may hesitate to raise the price of its recently launched Switch 2 while establishing the new platform.
The increases arrive eight months before the highly anticipated release of GTA 6, which is expected to drive strong console sales. However, early reactions online have been a mix of disappointment and resignation, with growing concern that premium gaming is increasingly becoming a hobby for higher-income players.
In a sector already grappling with tariffs, inflation and component shortages, Sony’s move underscores a tough reality: even the most popular consoles are not immune to the rising cost of keeping up with the latest technology.
