One thing about the technology field is that there's seldom a shortage of wild-eyed predictions about some new medium or piece of hardware that's going to shake up the world as we know it. While these predictions have both fallen flat and succeeded beyond anyone's expectations, one of the latest predictions is also pretty likely to come to pass. Web-based real-time communications (WebRTC) and mobile devices are set to be a combination that's likely to shake mobile to its core, and fundamentally change everything that we know about the field.
Hookflash's co-founder and serial voice over Internet Protocol entrepreneur Erik Lagerway took a closer look at just what WebRTC means to the mobile industry, and had a lot to say about just what this technology could do. Lagerway notes immediately that WebRTC has serious potential to become ubiquitous in the field, becoming what amounts to a new standard, what he calls a “common denominator” to the mobile network.
But Lagerway doesn't stop there. He goes on to describe how WebRTC will ultimately kill some VoIP providers, especially those who aren't willing to make crucial changes in advance of the transition to WebRTC, and do so at least near the tip of the spear. While VoIP providers may not be completely wiped out thanks to the near compatibility of the platforms, Lagerway sees a grimmer future ahead for landlines, mobile voice service, and even the phone network as we know it, suggesting that WebRTC will ultimately take out all these institutions.
So what's driving all this? What's driving the sheer destructive and creative potential of WebRTC? Lagerway notes what many before him have noted: it's the sheer ubiquity of it all. With WebRTC proving not only useful for desktop PCs but also for mobile devices, the ability to make contact with friends, family and business contacts as easily as sending someone a link is hard to pass up. Considering that WebRTC can handle not only voice traffic, but also video traffic and even some kinds of data thanks to the vaunted data channel contained therein, there's quite a bit going on here. Since WebRTC can operate from the confines of a Web browser, without the need for plugins or extra software, that makes it easy for both developers and end users to work with, and represents one of the biggest parts of WebRTC's potential for growth.
One of the best ways to see WebRTC's potential is at the upcoming WebRTC Conference & Expo, set to arrive November 19 – 21 at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, Calif. While there will be a variety of exhibits related to upcoming products in the WebRTC field, there will also be a panel called “IMS Value in a World of WebRTC & Mobile.” Said panel will go deeper into how the fields of mobile and WebRTC are set to interact, and should offer an impressive perspective on just how several different industries are set to be impacted by this new platform.
WebRTC is, essentially, the communications equivalent of a powered screwdriver. It's simple. It's easy to use. Beyond that, it has dozens of uses and can figure in to just about any household anywhere. Users can get along without it—manual screwdrivers are cheap and plentiful—but after using the other version it just doesn't make much sense to not stick with it. There's a lot of room for WebRTC to destabilize several markets, and it's likely to do so soon.
Want to learn more about the latest in WebRTC? Be sure to attend WebRTC Conference & Expo, Nov. 19-21 in Santa Clara, Calif. Stay in touch with everything happening at WebRTC Conference & Expo. Follow us on Twitter.
Edited by
Rachel Ramsey
