Jakarta, TopBusiness\u2014Infobip, a global AI-based cloud communications\nplatform, has released the Indonesia Messaging & Engagement Trends\nReport 2026, revealing that Indonesia is moving beyond mere digital\nreach towards conversational-based customer engagement.<\/p>\n
With smartphone penetration at 98.7%, internet penetration at 80.5%,\nand 331 million active mobile users, Indonesia has become one of the\nmost potential markets in Southeast Asia for businesses to build closer\nrelationships with customers through conversational channels.<\/p>\n
Messaging channels have now become one of the primary means for\nbusinesses in Indonesia to reach and retain customers. WhatsApp remains\nthe most dominant business messaging channel in Indonesia with a usage\nrate of 81%, playing a crucial role in onboarding, customer service, and\ntwo-way interactions.<\/p>\n
\u201cSMS continues to be the backbone for authentication and\ntransactional notifications, while email remains relevant for\ncommunications that require more complete documentation,\u201d said Kukuh\nPrayogi, Enterprise Business Director at Infobip, in a statement\nreceived by TopBusiness Magazine.<\/p>\n
Businesses in Indonesia are also beginning to show the tangible\nimpact of using these channels. Sinar Mas Land\u2019s AI-based WhatsApp\nassistant, Silvia, now handles 42% of customer conversations while\nsimultaneously increasing customer satisfaction scores to 4.46.<\/p>\n
The online grocery platform Segari has successfully reduced response\ntimes by up to 90% and increased its Net Promoter Score from 25\u201330 to 72\nafter centralising its customer engagement system.<\/p>\n
The use of more interactive message formats is also continuing to\ngrow. Indonesia currently ranks fifth globally with 89.5 million users\nsupporting RCS, indicating increasing market readiness for richer and\nmore interactive customer experiences.<\/p>\n
Through its partnership with Telkomsel, Infobip is also helping to\nexpand access to RCS for Business in Indonesia, providing organisations\nwith a verified channel to deliver more interactive customer\nexperiences, complementing WhatsApp and SMS.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has become one of the most dynamic messaging markets in the\nworld, with businesses now redesigning conversational-based customer\nengagement.<\/p>\n
\u201cCustomers are already accustomed to contacting brands via messaging,\nand the key differentiator now is how those conversations are managed at\nevery stage of the customer journey so that every touchpoint feels\nconnected rather than fragmented,\u201d explained Kukuh Prayogi.<\/p>\n
The report also shows that the use of messaging plays different roles\nin various industries. In the banking sector, conversations are\nincreasingly used for onboarding, authentication, and account\nservices.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the retail sector connects trading activities with\npost-purchase engagement. Telecommunications service providers utilise\nmessaging throughout the customer lifecycle, while travel and technology\nbusinesses rely on it for time-sensitive services and customer\noperations.<\/p>\n
However, as various use cases evolve, businesses also face challenges\nin managing diverse conversations, channels, and customer needs as a\nsingle, unified experience.<\/p>\n
This complexity is also influencing how businesses invest in\ncommunication technology. The Indonesian CPaaS market is projected to\ngrow at a CAGR of 33.25%, from US$122.8 million in 2025 to US$686.5\nmillion by 2031. This growth reflects the increasing business need for\nplatforms capable of managing multi-channel customer engagement at\nscale.<\/p>\n
AI is also bringing a new dimension to how businesses manage this\ncomplexity. Indonesia currently ranks ninth globally in AI skill\npenetration, while 62% of companies are expected to adopt AI by\n2030.<\/p>\n
In the context of customer engagement, this opens opportunities to\nmove beyond basic automation and leverage AI to understand context,\ncoordinate interactions, and support customers as conversations\nevolve.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs AI takes an increasingly large role in customer interaction, the\nright context becomes vital. Through Infobip AgentOS, businesses can\nconnect customer data, communications, and automation so that AI can\nunderstand the customer\u2019s stage in the customer journey and determine\nthe most relevant next step,\u201d added Kukuh Prayogi.<\/p>\n
For businesses in Indonesia, this report highlights one practical\npriority: aligning technology investments with the role of each\ninteraction in the customer journey. This means businesses need to\nidentify areas where automation can reduce friction, where richer\nmessaging can enhance the customer experience, and where human support\nremains necessary.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/research-whatsapp-dominates-customer-service-channels-in-indonesia-1788497488", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }