Definition
An RBM agent is the branded conversational entity that represents a business in RCS Business Messaging. It has a name, logo, colour, description and contact details, and it sends and receives messages for the brand through Google's RBM API.
Partners create agents in Google's RCS for Business Developer Console or with the Management API. At creation they set the agent name, hosting region (North America, Europe or Asia Pacific), billing category (conversational or non-conversational) and use case (OTP, transactional, promotional or multi-use). Google's documentation notes that an agent's region cannot be changed later, and its use case cannot be changed after it is submitted for launch.
Users see the agent as a verified sender. After brand verification and launch, Google Messages shows a verification checkmark next to the agent's name. The agent's conversation details page shows that the sender was verified and who verified it.
Launch happens per carrier. Some carriers are Google-managed and others are carrier-managed; carrier-managed launches may require a direct agreement with the carrier. Before launching, the agent needs an opt-out (STOP) flow, a privacy policy, terms and a description of its message triggers.
In Google's model, the agent initiates conversations. Users cannot start one with a brand's agent, but once the agent has messaged them they can reply at any time.