Good news for developers. Advanced Messaging in Azure Communication Services is finally here
Azure Communication Services manages the billing for your WhatsApp usage.
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Key notes
- Azure Communication Services now supports Advanced Messaging with third-party apps.
- You can now use apps like WhatsApp business to send and receive messages from your applications.
- Billing is managed through Azure, with WhatsApp charging per conversation.
It’s been a long time coming, but Microsoft has finally announced that Advanced Messaging in Azure Communication Services has finally arrived for general availability.
Now, you can use third-party apps like WhatsApp Business, with a reach in over 180 countries worldwide, to send and receive messages from your applications using the Azure Communication Services Messaging SDK, because this service facilitates intelligent B2C communication workflows.
You can also use Advanced Messaging to design conversational workflows customized for important customer situations, such as appointment reminders, transaction notifications, and immediate assistance, thereby improving customer satisfaction and interactions.
And, with Azure OpenAI Service, you can combine Azure Communication Services Job Router with it to analyze messages in WhatsApp Business.
Azure Communication Services allows developers to craft multichannel experiences by integrating WhatsApp with other communication channels like SMS, email, chat, voice, and video.
When you link your WhatsApp Business account to Azure, Azure Communication Services manages the billing for your WhatsApp usage, which is detailed in your Azure bill. WhatsApp then charges per conversation rather than per message, with conversations categorized as Marketing, Utility, Authentication, or Service.
Service conversations include 1,000 free conversations per month across all business phone numbers, while other categories are subject to varying rates between $0.003 and $0.1597 depending on the category and country/region.
