The world of Web-based real time communications (WebRTC) is a juggernaut that just keeps rolling along, and with it continues to bring in fresh news and perspectives from all around the industry. With plenty of new items to consider, it's worth taking a step back and getting a wider perspective on this rapidly growing industry. So with the weekend at hand, it's a good time to settle in and take a look back at the week that was with our Week in Review.
First, we had a look at the wider field of WebRTC, and that those with a strong view in the field were set to be proven right over those calling for calmer consideration of the market. Behind that assertion was a simple analysis of the former field in telephony, filled to the brim with specialist hardware and the like, against the current field of WebRTC, which is set to not only offer a wider possible market but do so simply, in a fashion that makes WebRTC a real “game changer.”
Next came a new set of details over Siemens Enterprise Communications' new communications and collaboration platform. Dubbed Ansible—possibly in a nod to the communications device from “Ender's Game” and others—the platform allows for not only better access to unified communications technology but also to WebRTC via browsers. Siemens itself, meanwhile, described the platform as able to “empower teams to engage in rich and meaningful conversations across virtually any communications channel or device.”
Sometimes, some of the finer points of WebRTC can be lost amid the crush of new products, services, terms and definitions. That prompted a closer look at the nature of WebRTC itself, as we looked at how it wasn't actually “browser-to-browser” but rather “peer-to-peer.” Since there is no specific requirement that a peer be a browser, this opens up the field a bit more and is more representative of the overall nature of WebRTC communications.
Then came news about Chrome Beta for Android, and its newly-minted WebRTC support. This comes only as somewhat of a surprise, of course, as Google has been one of the biggest forces behind WebRTC pretty much since its inception. While rolling out WebRTC support for Google products has been a bit on the gradual side, starting with the desktop version of Chrome, the mobile version has now arrived on the Chrome Beta channel. Further developments are likely to follow.
Finally, we had a look at the Empirix Hammer Test Solution, and the kind of impact it was set to have on the field of WebRTC in general. Since the Hammer Test Solution offers a way for businesses to make sure WebRTC systems work with current applications and the like before launching a wide-scale installation effort, the solution allows businesses to essentially test the waters before making the full crossover. This prevents a number of unexpected hiccups in the system, and keeps said hiccups from doing larger-scale damage to the business, like preventing customers from reaching sales staff and the like.
That was the week that was in WebRTC; with plenty going on, there was certainly a lot to consider. It's worth the chance to take a step back and consider the larger issues in the field, and our global online community was certainly bringing back issues at a healthy pace. So, be sure to join us back here next week for all the latest news in WebRTC, and of course, every weekend for our Week in Review.
