As a phone service provider or reseller, should you build your own messaging app or capitalize on a proven, customizable solution from a messaging integration expert? Dive into our expert guide on Messaging Integration Strategy to navigate navigate the options.

Build or Buy: Evaluating Your Messaging Integration Strategy

YakChat messaging app image

To Build or to Buy? That is the question!

The integration of messaging services within UC platforms like Microsoft Teams and Webex is no longer optional; it’s a vital necessity for modern enterprises. As a phone service provider or reseller, you're faced with a pivotal decision: should you invest resources in developing your own messaging application, or capitalize on a proven solution from a messaging integration specialist, which can often be customized and branded as your own?

To guide you through this critical decision-making process, we've compiled a detailed analysis of the essential factors to consider when weighing the options between building and buying.

No time to read? Click Here for the shorter, bulleted version.

Opting to develop your own messaging system is the tech equivalent of trying to solve a jigsaw puzzle that constantly changes its pieces...

Architecture

Building: When you opt to build your own messaging solution, you’re embarking on a journey to craft a robust architecture that guarantees resiliency and redundancy. This entails making critical decisions, such as opting for Platform as a Service (PaaS) or developing your own infrastructure. You’ll need to set up secure storage for messages and files, create backup and data retention plans, and make sure the system can handle peak loads while maintaining optimal performance.

Buying: With a solution from a messaging integration expert, the architecture is already established and thoroughly tested. These solutions ensure secure storage for messages and files, efficient data backup, and compliance with stringent data retention policies. By choosing an expert solution, you tap into a resilient infrastructure engineered for high availability and uninterrupted operation.

Knowhow

Building: Developing a messaging application requires deep expertise in text messaging protocols, strict adherence to industry standards, and seamless integration with UC platforms. It's essential to evaluate whether your team has the requisite skills or if additional training or the expertise of a specialist is needed to achieve success.

Buying: Partnering with a messaging integration expert guarantees access to extensive knowledge in text messaging and compliance, ensuring full adherence to regulatory standards. Their platforms seamlessly integrate with Microsoft Teams, Webex, and other major platforms, supported by specialized expertise in the field

Development skills

Building: Assess if your team has the essential development skills needed, including proficiency in relevant programming languages and tools crucial for both front-end and back-end development. It’s also vital to consider the availability and capacity of your developers to ensure they can handle the project workload. If your team lacks these competencies, you may need to hire contractors or consider outsourcing development. However, be cautious of the risks involved: Contractors may leave, taking critical knowledge of your service with them, and outsourcing could lead to relinquishing control over proprietary application insights.

Buying: Opting for an expert solution eliminates the need for in-house development. These solutions are ready to deploy, significantly reducing the time and resources needed to get your messaging service up and running.

Testing

Building: It's crucial to invest in automated testing frameworks during the initial development phase to guarantee high quality and minimize long-term expenses. While manual testing is an option, it becomes increasingly costly due to the repetitive nature of regression testing over time.

Buying: Solutions offered by messaging integration experts are meticulously tested and validated. These platforms undergo continuous automated testing to ensure unwavering reliability, sparing you from the substantial upfront investment in testing infrastructure.

Customers will always demand more: More features, more improvements, more performance, and more reliability—because 'enough' is just a placeholder in the tech world.

Security

Building: Security is paramount, requiring a holistic approach encompassing both code and infrastructure. This involves adopting rigorous secure coding practices, robust encryption methods, and conducting regular security audits. Continuous vigilance is essential to fortify the service against evolving threats.

Buying: Expert solutions prioritize security, integrating best practices and regular updates to protect your data. By choosing a pre-built solution, you benefit from a platform that undergoes constant monitoring and enhancements to bolster its security defenses.

Documentation and Support

Building: Developing thorough technical and end-user documentation is pivotal for ensuring seamless maintenance and support. Comprehensive documentation enables effective management of the system and empowers users to maximize its capabilities to the fullest.

Buying: Solutions from messaging integration experts come with comprehensive documentation and support services, ensuring smooth implementation and user adoption. Moreover, their dedicated teams stand ready to assist with any technical challenges, offering reassurance and peace of mind throughout the process.

Release Process and Maintenance

Building: Establishing a release process and overseeing ongoing maintenance demands a dedicated team. Software evolves continuously, necessitating refactoring and potentially rewriting portions of the code every few years. Alongside this, you'll need to promptly address technical issues and bugs as they surface. Sustaining this level of maintenance demands dedicated resources and ongoing, substantial investment.

Buying: Expert solutions handle every aspect of maintenance, from routine updates and bug fixes to enhancing features and refining code. This comprehensive approach frees you to focus on core business activities while ensuring your messaging service steadily advances and improves.

New Features

Building: It’s impractical to include every desired feature in the initial release.And customers will always demand more: more features, improvements, faster performance, and greater reliability. Developing these new features in-house requires a significant investment of both time and resources.

Buying: Messaging integration experts continuously enrich their platforms with new features and enhancements,  driven by customer feedback and industry trends. This allows you to meet evolving customer demands efficiently without the burden of extensive in-house development.

Time to Market

Building: There is an urgent demand for SMS messaging in the United States and Canada, as well as for WhatsApp in Europe and other parts of the world. Developing a custom solution would significantly delay your time to market, potentially resulting in lost market share and revenue.

Buying: Ready-made solutions allow for rapid deployment, enabling you to swiftly meet market demands and seize immediate opportunities, maximizing your market presence and revenue potential.

Competition

Building: Beyond meeting customer demands, you'll face fierce competition from other phone service providers and resellers that have already partnered with a messaging integration expert. Staying competitive demands a continuous investment in innovation and development.

Buying: Using a solution from a messaging integration expert means benefiting from their ongoing efforts to outpace the competition. This allows you to offer a cutting-edge service without the burden of extensive in-house development.

Cost Considerations

Building: The initial build cost of a custom messaging application can be sizable. Development expenses (especially for a robust and secure application), platform and infrastructure setup, security measures, ongoing maintenance, and technical support all contribute to quickly escalating cumulative costs.

Buying: Opting for an expert solution offers a cost-effective alternative with predictable monthly pay-as-you-use pricing and no upfront investment. These platforms spare you from hefty initial investments and reduce ongoing expenses, offering a clear and manageable cost structure that allows you to allocate resources more efficiently.

Conclusion

As a phone service provider, the surge in demand for integrating text messaging into Unified Communications (UC) platforms brings an exciting opportunity. Whether you're navigating decisions on architecture, maintenance, new features, competition, time to market, or cost, the choice between building or buying a messaging solution demands careful consideration.

Opting to partner with a messaging integration expert opens the door to a robust, secure, and seamlessly integrated messaging service. This strategic move eliminates the complexities and risks associated with developing your own solution, freeing you to focus on expanding your business and delivering unparalleled value to your customers.

Ready to elevate your communication capabilities to new heights? Discover the power of YakChat—an innovative solution that integrates directly with your phone system, seamlessly adds SMS/MMS to your voice numbers, and stands as the most closely integrated text messaging app for Microsoft Teams and Webex. Trusted by over 1,000 customers, YakChat offers a customizable white-label option, ready for deployment to customers within days.

Take the next step in transforming your communication strategy. Contact us today to explore our range of white-label solutions and see how YakChat can revolutionize your service offerings.