Smarsh and Google Partner to Deliver Encrypted RCS Capture for Regulated Organizations

New solution enables financial firms and government agencies to meet compliance obligations on the modern messaging standard

PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Smarsh, the global leader in digital communications data and intelligence, today announced a new partnership with Google to capture and archive Rich Communication Services (RCS) messages for regulated organizations. Smarsh Capture is now integrated with Google Messages for RCS archival to help organizations securely retain communications for regulatory monitoring, supervision and discovery.

This partnership is one of the first to unlock next-generation, compliant, encrypted messaging at scale. Financial institutions, government agencies, and other global enterprises can now confidently enable RCS — the modern messaging standard — while meeting stringent regulatory retention requirements.

“This is a defining moment for compliant communications,” said Kim Crawford Goodman, CEO of Smarsh. “RCS is the future of mobile messaging, offering modern, encrypted capabilities. Our partnership with Google means regulated organizations no longer have to choose between modern communication and compliance—they can confidently enable both.”

Solving the Challenge of Encrypted, On-Device Messaging

RCS delivers a modern user experience with read receipts, typing indicators, high-resolution media, and encryption. Unlike traditional SMS, end-to-end encrypted RCS messages cannot be captured through carrier networks.

The new solution — Android RCS Archival — which is integrated with Smarsh Capture and available on Google Pixel and other Android Enterprise devices, solves this challenge by capturing messages directly on the device. This ensures organizations can securely retain communications for regulatory monitoring, supervision and discovery. Key innovation highlights include:

• Pioneering solution to capture encrypted RCS messages for compliance.
• Uses Google’s secure API to collect content at the device level.
• Enables seamless ingestion into the Smarsh archive or other archives for supervision and discovery.
• Provides centralized administrative control of RCS capture across all managed Android devices.
• Supports transparency and trust by providing employees with a clear notification when archival is active.

Extending Compliance Across Google Workspace

The launch builds on Smarsh’s broader partnership with Google Workspace, which provides seamless, audit-ready compliance for Gmail, Google Chat, Meet, Drive, and Docs.

Smarsh Capture provides comprehensive retention of all Workspace activity — including comments, threads, document edits, and AI-generated insights—while ensuring WORM-compliant storage that meets SEC Rule 17a-4, Rule 18a-6, and CFTC §1.31 standards. With this integration, regulated organizations can confidently adopt AI-enhanced productivity tools like Gemini in Google Workspace, maintaining full visibility and audit readiness.

“AI-driven collaboration is transforming the workplace,” Goodman added. “Our partnership with Google helps organizations harness the latest technologies that enable them to be more productive and efficient while maintaining compliance.”

Future-Ready Compliance for the AI Era

As AI becomes embedded in every workflow, Smarsh’s technology ensures regulated firms can embrace innovation responsibly. By capturing both human and AI-generated communications across Google platforms, Smarsh helps organizations stay compliant, data-driven, and future-ready.

About Smarsh

Smarsh enables companies to transform oversight into foresight by surfacing business-critical signals in their digital communications. Regulated organizations of all sizes rely upon the Smarsh portfolio of cloud-native capture, retention, and oversight solutions to identify risks before they become losses, fines, or headlines. Smarsh serves a global client base spanning the top banks in North America, Europe, and Asia, leading brokerage firms, insurers, registered investment advisors, and U.S. federal, state, and local government agencies. Learn more at www.smarsh.com.