It's seldom not a big week in Web-based real time communications (WebRTC), and even with Memorial Day making things a bit shorter, it still wasn't sufficient to cut things short in the WebRTC domain. There was quite a bit of big news going on, so now that we've got another weekend on our hands—yes, already!—it's time to settle in and run down some of the week's biggest events in our Week in Review coverage!
First, we had a look at the AMR Wideband (AMR-WB) codec and its future within the field of HD voice. AMR-WB is already widely regarded as the standard in HD voice for cellular devices—granted, unofficially, but it's sufficiently widely used to give it some credit in the field—but there are some licensing issues that prevent its growth past that field. While a patent pool was established back in 2009, software developers find it necessary to negotiate with each of the companies involved, making new developments difficult thanks to varying terms across the patent holders.
Next, we had a look at the issue of WebRTC ubiquity, and its impact on verifying the availability of contacts. Essentially, thanks to WebRTC's mobility, it was thus somewhat more difficult to establish a WebRTC call since both participants in the contact need to be available at the time. While issues of unavailability are easier to handle with a telephone—an unanswered call rolls over to voice mail or to an answering machine or the like—WebRTC can't bring that kind of feature into play, at least, not yet. Instant messaging systems may step into the gap, but it does bring an extra issue of complexity to be considered.
We then took a look at WebRTC in general, and asked the question: is WebRTC simply overpromising? With two of the biggest brands in technology not involved—Microsoft is working on its own version, CU-RTC-WEB, and Apple is seemingly taking a pass for now—it may well work to limit the wider impact the platform has. But with the ability to add that platform often a browser download away, the overall impact of Microsoft and Apple's stance may not be so pronounced.
Next came a look at the idea of WebRTC certification, and the kind of benefit that same will add to companies' ability to get behind the new platform. Being successful in WebRTC will often require a first-mover advantage, and that will require a close understanding of just what WebRTC can—and can't—do, as well as how those features fit into current operations. Thus, certification efforts are underway to give users the fullest understanding in just what this new technology is all about. Several such certification programs will help users get behind the new technology.
Finally, Requestec brought in the last bit of news for the week, as its plans to roll out WebRTC functionality in its Zenon IP Communications Gateway bore fruit with its release. Requestec had been looking to make this addition for some time, but now the gateway will have the new platform, as well as a host of other useful functions that will no doubt prove pivotal for use in businesses of all sizes.
It was a spectacular week in WebRTC, with this new field bringing lots of opportunities along with it. Old ideas were questioned and modified, new technologies emerged, and all the while, a field crackled with future possibilities that could scarcely be ignored. Our global online community was constantly bringing back news, so be sure to join us back here next week for more, and every weekend for our Week in Review!
