Airtel Business has launched Airtel IQ Gateway, a platform that enables enterprises to manage customer communications across SMS, WhatsApp, RCS, and voice channels. The platform, introduced nationwide after trial deployments with select banks and financial institutions, also includes silent authentication features aimed at fraud protection. Airtel is showcasing the platform at the India Mobile Congress in New Delhi from October 7 to 10, according to medianama.com.
The Airtel IQ Gateway offers a single control point for enterprises to handle multiple communication channels, reducing reliance on external vendors. It packages voice, SMS, WhatsApp, and video connectivity into a developer-facing, API-driven, pay-as-you-go product. This approach shifts Airtel from being an upstream infrastructure supplier to a direct competitor in the Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) market, challenging companies like Twilio, Tanla, Route Mobile, and Gupshup, medianama.com reports.
This move positions Airtel to capture more value in the CPaaS sector by integrating various messaging and voice services into one platform. The platform could also reduce Airtel’s dependence on intermediaries such as telemarketers for bulk business communications. While Airtel has not disclosed metrics from its trial deployments, the launch aligns with growing enterprise demand for streamlined, multi-channel communication solutions, medianama.com notes.
Airtel IQ Gateway’s nationwide rollout coincides with its debut at the India Mobile Congress, held from October 7 to 10 in New Delhi, where the company is demonstrating the platform’s capabilities, medianama.com confirms.