Sitting Down with Syniverse, the Nation’s Largest DCA

In A2P 10-digit long code (10DLC) messaging, Direct Connect Aggregators (DCAs) are responsible for vetting and approving 10DLC Campaigns for compliance. DCAs are also the last stop before an A2P text message gets into the Carrier’s network, and as we like to say, they decide your 10DLC message’s fate.

To bring more awareness and clarity around the DCA’s role in the 10DLC ecosystem and how to get and stay compliant, Telgorithm’s CEO and Co-founder, Aaron Alter, sat down with Trevor MacDonald, the Sr. Director of 10DLC & Messaging Services Strategy at Syniverse to discuss on a webinar.

The webinar recording is available to watch, or you can continue reading for highlights and FAQs.

10DLC Ecosystem Players

Aaron and Trevor kick the webinar off by explaining who’s who in the 10DLC ecosystem at large.

• Campaign Service Provider (CSP) – The primary use of The Campaign Registry. Examples of CSPs would be software providers offering A2P 10DLC text messaging services from their platform or application to their customers (AKA a SaaS, PaaS, CRM, etc.).
• Connectivity Partner (CNP) – A CNP is who a CSP will use to enable 10DLC messaging services, AKA their SMS/MMS messaging API provider. Telgorithm is a CNP.
• The Campaign Registry (TCR) – TCR is the reputation authority for 10DLC messaging. CSPs register, or “file”, their Brands and Campaigns on TCR where their info is stored and shared with DCAs for approval.  
• Direct Connect Aggreagtor (DCA) – Companies that are directly connected and integrated with Mobile Carriers. In the 10DLC registration process with TCR, submitted Campaigns are sent to DCAs to be vetted and approved or rejected. DCAs are the last stop for a text message before it gets into the Carrier’s network.

According to Trevor, one way to think about the main players in compliance is that “TCR is the start of compliance where you register your Brand, you register your use-case, then it falls on the DCA (as well as the CSP and CNP) to make sure that the Campaigns being registered are compliant with the Carrier Code of Conduct”.

10DLC Compliance Cheat Sheet from Syniverse

Trevor’s goal for his team at Syniverse is to make 10DLC “the gold standard for A2P messaging” regarding compliance.

The key to mastering SMS rules and regulations as a software provider or CSP is KYC – know your customer (AKA Brand). If your customer’s registration is clear and complete, if they have a functioning and secure website, if they state that they are not selling phone numbers to third parties – achieving Campaign approval should be a breeze. Below are a few compliance must-haves that Syniverse looks carefully at during Campaign vetting:

• Websites - For a Campaign to be approved, it must be associated with a Brand with a fully functioning & compliant website (especially if the website is used to collect opt-in information). Unsecure or non-functioning websites including domain parking sites, broken links, or incomplete templated websites will receive instant rejections. The DCA will also be reviewing websites to make sure that they
• SMS Disclosure - You must have an SMS Disclosure near any web forms with mandatory phone number fields.
• Privacy Policy - Unless you are a Sole Proprietor, your website must contain a privacy policy.
• Optional: Including the Brand name in your subscriber opt-in & opt-out sections during TCR Campaign registration.

The Importance of SMS Opt-in / Opt-out

Trevor mentions that opt-ins are key – they’re monitored by Carriers, DCAs, and across the industry. But opt-out is even more important and must be honored to prevent your Campaign from being flagged.

An example Trevor shares is that if you have a Campaign with multiple phone numbers and a customer opts out of even one of those numbers – honor the opt-out across all associated numbers.

What is Drift Content?

Drift content is content that has “drifted away” from the originally approved sample messages and messaging use-case in registration and risks being flagged by DCAs. For example, if you registered a 2-factor authentication (2FA) use-case Campaign that was approved, but you later started leveraging that same Campaign for a marketing use-case, that would be considered drift content.

To clarify, the expectation is not that your messages need to match the approved sample messages exactly. However if you have new use-cases or needs over time, instead of deviating from the approved Campaign, you should work with your CNP to have a new Campaign submitted.

Q&A with Aaron and Trevor

Here are a handful of questions and answers that are addressed throughout the webinar.

Q: If I’m a software provider and I have a platform that my customers (AKA Brands) use to send and receive 10DLC messages to their customers, should I go directly to a DCA or should I partner with a CNP? How would I know which path to take?

A: In the industry, there are DCAs that also serve as CNPs, although Syniverse has made the decision to not offer this. Syniverse is strictly a DCA, helping them to stay neutral when it comes to vetting Campaigns and compliance. Syniverse prefers software providers to partner with a CNP like Telgorithm or others.

Q: Follow up question – as a software provider, is going directly to a DCA (who will also serve as my CNP) the same process as partnering with a CNP from a technical perspective?

A: No, partnering with a DCA directly would entail different legal requirements and technical requirements that you would be expected to develop and maintain.

One example of these requirements for Syniverse is around Carrier rate limits – Syniverse expects that the CNP or CSP that uses them is capable of managing Carrier rate limits and will not exceed them. If exceeded, Syniverse will cut off your messaging. Telgorithm already has this technology in place (called Smart Queueing), making it more convenient for CSPs to partner and leverage for 99%+ deliverability rates without having to develop it in-house or risk being blocked by the DCA.

To summarize, if you wanted to buy a Coca-Cola, would you set up an appointment at Coca-Cola’s corporate HQ, or head straight to a convenience store where you can easily find, purchase, and enjoy your drink?

Q: What is a reasonable turnaround time for receiving Campaign approval or feedback from Syniverse currently?

A: In general, Syniverse will turn Campaigns around in five business days. When a Campaign is submitted with missing information and there’s a need to go back-and-forth, this timeline can become delayed. To best support customers, Syniverse does have opportunities to expedite or escalate vetting when needed.

Q: Are DCAs actually reviewing the websites associated with Campaigns?

A: Absolutely. Real people are vetting Campaign submissions, including reviewing the website, which must be secure and functioning. Some of the things DCAs are looking for include that the website is truly reflective of the Brand and Campaign and is not just templated and that the business appears to be legitimate.

Q: Where should software providers go for compliance guidance?

A: Any software provider should be relying on their CNP for this information – your CNP is your frontline for compliance. CNPs like Telgorithm, for example, should be well aware of the Carrier Code of Conducts, CTIA guidelines, as well as any new compliance requirements from the DCAs and should be relaying that down to customers (software providers).

Q: What can we expect over the next 6 months to a year regarding 10DLC compliance from Syniverse?

A: Syniverse’s anti-spam continues to get smarter and will continue to be leveraged to find bad actors or bad traffic. Additionally, Syniverse aims to further protect Brand (customer) credentials to prevent Campaigns from being hacked.

Q: What is the process for reviewing backlogs of 10DLC Campaigns?

A: In general, Campaigns are reviewed by first in, first out, or chronologically. If there’s a massive influx of Campaigns, Syniverse is set up to quickly scale up resources so that the demand is met.

Have More Questions?

We’ve got you covered! For even more info and insights you can watch the entire webinar recording or download our free eBook filled with tips for avoiding 10DLC Campaign rejections.

If you’re interested in speaking with one of our 10DLC experts to learn more about how Telgorithm’s messaging API and compliance guidance can help you, don’t hesitate to reach out.

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