In Conversation with James Williams, CEO, MrConnectivity

If you’ve spent any time in the mobile messaging space, you’ve likely come across the name MrConnectivity. Behind that name is James Williams, known for his boundless energy, no-nonsense insights, and deep passion for mobile engagement and fraud prevention. With over three decades in the industry, James has seen it all, from the early days of wholesale voice to today’s AI-powered, hyper-personalised communication strategies.

As the founder of MrConnectivity, he’s helped countless telcos, CPaaS providers, and brands make sense of the rapidly shifting mobile landscape. He’s also one of the industry’s most vocal advocates for smart regulation, zero-trust security models, and greater collaboration,  especially in business messaging.

In this wide-ranging conversation, James shares sharp perspectives on where the industry is thriving, where it's falling short, and what the future holds. Whether you're in telecoms, tech, or just fascinated by how the world communicates, this one's packed with gold.

Let’s dive in.

Let’s kick things off easy, how did your journey into the mobile and messaging space begin? Was it planned or a happy accident?

Over 30 years ago I had no specific aspirations to get into the Telecoms world so from that perspective it was most definitely a happy accident! What continues to draw me to it though is the fact that Mobile as a whole - and Business Messaging in particular - impacts practically every single person on the planet. Done right, each interaction has the potential to be very beneficial too! 

From wholesale voice to CPaaS and conversational commerce, what’s one shift in the industry that has truly surprised you? 

The sub-optimal way in which the Business Messaging industry as a whole has approached the area of education. c. USD 500 billion is spent on digital ads each year, yet the average Click Through Rate (CTR) is barely 1.5%. A2P SMS – never mind richer channels such as RCS Business Messaging (RBM) or OTTs such as Rakuten Viber, WhatsApp etc.) can do so much more for people but why is it that still less than 10% of the 300 million listed businesses globally today actually use Business Messaging at all? 

I do my bit all around the world evangelising Business Messaging but we need a concerted industry effort. Still not seeing that at all unfortunately. All too fragmented and people are letting their competitive side get the better of them when there can be so much done fairly easily to grow the pie for everybody! 

You’ve been deeply involved in helping telcos monetize A2P SMS traffic. What’s the most common blind spot mobile operators have in this area? 

There are a number of them but you asked for one, so for me it has to be the pervasive thought that A2P SMS is dying out. There’s this belief held by many that it’s something that USED to be great, so all mobile network operators (MNOs) can now do is make the best of it whilst it lasts. And a for a good number – in the developing world in particular – this means jacking up the pricing of international A2P SMS traffic to unsustainable levels, bleeding out the poor cash cow super-fast. And no wonder volumes of internationally originated A2P SMS are tanking in many places around the world!  

This approach by multiple MNOs is so wrong on multiple levels. I could write pages about it but suffice to say, A2P SMS is the only ubiquitous channel accessible to the 5.75 billion unique mobile subscribers in the world there are, and all without mobile data or WIFI access. That is something to be treasured and not abused. A2P SMS is special. 

The Mobile Ecosystem Forum (MEF) clearly saw significant growth during your time. What do you think was the secret sauce behind tripling engagement and expanding membership? 

During my 3 years with MEF, I added 60 organisations to the membership base. I left MEF December 2023 and today MEF has 250 companies within its community which is a great milestone to hit! 

I approach practically everything I do in life with my Sales hat on. What is that an individual or organisation could best get from anything? What problems does it solve for them? And that is exactly how I did it. MEF is a perfect industry platform for even small or medium-sized players in the Mobile world to have the same standing as the huge players in the industry. So excellent for increasing one’s brand presence and recognition. Approaching it from that brand benefit angle paid real dividends.  

Digital identity and anti-fraud are more critical than ever. Where do you think the industry is still falling short in protecting users?

To do real justice to this question I should be writing pages and pages (again!) but suffice to say the industry is not approaching everything it does from the angle of zero trust. Putting one’s rose-tinted spectacles on and espousing that everyone is innocent until proven guilty can be utterly disastrous given the breadth and depth (for example) of some data breaches so I’d not be trusting anybody or anything until they were verified. So, a zero-trust approach from the get-go with everything.  

If you are an organisation at real scale, it’s truly difficult to eliminate all fraud etc. from every interaction but there are plenty of good companies out there offering excellent rapid ways to verify, authenticate, scan web links in SMS in real time etc. but all the dots are yet to be fully joined up. None of us cannot ignore the fact that there is huge money made in fraud all over the world and the people cashing in protect their businesses (because fraud is unfortunately a truly global industrial complex!) and will not relinquish their spoils easily. At all. 

You’ve helped businesses improve their LinkedIn presence dramatically. What’s one thing most companies get wrong about LinkedIn?

Approaching the content output from a traditional social media, Facebook or Instagram like, angle. LinkedIn is very different. The maxim ‘less is more’ is 100% correct when it comes to posting on LinkedIn. Unlike Instagram, you absolutely do not need to post each day and you companies out there with LinkedIn pages, never forget too, LinkedIn give you a certain number of credits your page admins can utilise to invite their own connections to follow your company page each month - usually 250. These refill through the month if somebody invited accepts and if you have used all of them up, wait until the 1^st of the following month and your credits reset automatically. A nice little way of increasing your following. 

Event curation is an art. When you’re putting together a killer event or panel, what’s your approach to keeping it fresh and meaningful?

We’ve all got to realise that it’s truly rare somebody can create a panel or whole event about something so new and impactful that nobody in the target audience will have heard about it. It’s practically always the converse, the topic actually being something most are already very familiar with and it’s all too easy for people to have that “Groundhog Day” feeling - panels, events repeating each other! So how does one surmount that challenge? Well, by injecting really energy into the flow of an event, allowing loads of time for real face-to-face networking and approaching everything from the discussion angle. Running down a panel of speakers asking each one the same questions repeatedly won’t exactly enthuse any audience and it should instead be about kickstarting a meaningful discussion amongst all.  Who you get in to moderate sessions has a huge impact on how things pan out and if you are putting together a proper event (whether online or physical), I strongly recommend bringing somebody in to act as the Master of Ceremonies – MC. The right person will ensure everything runs to time, keep the energy up and generally remove many of the headaches any event organiser has. And I know the perfect MC very well indeed - MrConnectivity!  

Mobile intelligence is evolving fast, how do you see it shaping customer engagement strategies in the next 2 - 3 years?

You’ve no doubt heard it before (and you’ll hear it again elsewhere too!) but AI-driven tech embedded in smartphones, apps, and across the ecosystem will reshape customer engagement strategies. This for me is mobile intelligence. The dawn of the era of true hyper-personalisation in content, real-time experiences is upon us but its birth is not easy. 

Sure, AI can analyse vast datasets (user behaviour, preferences, location, and social interactions) to deliver tailored content and recommendations, but embedding it across your organisation is not the piece of cake many believe it is. Workflows, processes and so much more need to be adjusted and any company which can provide solutions which facilitate the adoption of these new applications of technology (remember AI itself is decades old) will win very big! 

What do you think the next major disruption will be in the messaging or business communication ecosystem?

I’ve talked about AI already so that’s out of bounds for me here so I have to say regulation!

Fraud is on the increase globally and unfortunately the likes of SMS, Voice, RCS etc. are the bearer channels of the hooks designed to get people sucked in and defrauded. The more I run workshops for MNOs around the world, the more I am seeing regulators step into the light asking more questions. Some, due to a genuine lack of understanding about business messaging etc. overreact and harm the already fragile ecosystem but many more need to step up and really take action. 

I’ve always said that the ideal for any industry is self-regulation but I’m seeing far too often just how this approach does not truly address the causes. Regulators are going to have to step up and fast now but I strongly advise them to invest in bringing in independent, knowledgeable people and organisations to advise them. And let’s be clear here, regulation as a disruption isn’t just about compliance - it’s about reshaping the messaging ecosystem to be more secure, trusted, and accessible. And that brings a truckload of opportunities with it for growth. 

Looking back on your career so far, is there a project or moment you’re especially proud of, something that still makes you smile?

It’s the simple things in life and for me the most impactful thing I’ve ever done in my whole career to date (in terms of time spent doing something and the return realised) was recommended to a mobile operator that they increase their domestic A2P SMS price immediately  - well, subject to the obligatory 30-day price change notification period! Their A2P SMS price was considerably less than other less powerful entities in the market. This was on the first day they had hired me to help them too. Now, I’d like to say they listened to me immediately but it took them six months to summon up the courage to do it and they sure did regret not having done so months before. That cost them several hundred thousand in lost revenues. The moral of the story here is to never overlook the seemingly obvious. 

Rapid replies:

Coffee, tea, or CPaaS?

CPaaS – I’ve never been a tea or coffee drinker so…!

First thing you do when starting your workday? 

When at home feed Viktor the cat and when away, switch on the TV and immerse myself in the language of wherever I might be.

What’s one mobile app you can’t live without? 

‘X’ marks the spot for me. Sorry LinkedIn! 

In one word, the future of messaging is…? 

Bright

What’s more exciting, a blank canvas (like a new brand site) or optimizing what already exists? 

Blank canvas

A book or podcast that recently inspired you? 

‘Inspired’ might not be exactly the correct word, but let’s just say my recent re-read of ‘1984’ written by George Orwell (and bear in mind it was published back in 1949) gave me plenty of food for thought! 

What’s your go-to way to reset after a packed day of meetings and calls? 

My Xbox – I’ve played on this console (the Halo family of games specifically) since it launched in the UK back in 2002 and hit it for at least 30 minutes a few times a week. It’s not only fun but forces you to get very strategic and tests your reactions like practically nothing else! 

(A huge thank you James, for such a candid, insightful, and energizing conversation. Your passion for this industry is infectious, and your practical wisdom is something every player in the mobile ecosystem can benefit from. We’re grateful for the time, and we’ll definitely be keeping an eye on what you champion next!)

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MrConnectivity at a Glance: 

MrConnectivity is a global, independent consultancy that delivers impactful solutions across the Telecoms and Domain Name industries. With a strong focus on Mobile Identity, Business Messaging, and Domain Sales, the company helps organisations unlock greater value through tailored services in Anti-Fraud, Business Development, Education, Marketing, and Strategic Advisory. Trusted by clients around the world, MrConnectivity is committed to driving clarity, growth, and resilience in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

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