For some, the Dick Tracy two-way wrist communicator was the height of science fiction technology. But even this enduring meme of technology is falling away, beaten back by not only superior technology, but superior reality as well. BrowseTel.com is helping to lead the charge in taking down this old and faithful meme by bringing not just calling, but video calling, to the Samsung Gear smartwatch, and all with the help of Web real-time communications (WebRTC).
A recent WebRTC conference in Paris showed off just what some of this could do, and BrowseTel was in the thick of it, showing off how its cloud services platform could offer up a variety of useful services, all from the midst of a standard Web browser. Not only could BrowseTel offer up local telephone numbers in over 80 countries available with just a few clicks of a mouse, as well as the ability to offer calling from QR codes or from e-mail signature links, Meet-Me conference rooms that can be made permanent, fax to e-mail options and quite a bit more from there.
But the thing that most shocked audiences at the Paris show was when BrowseTel set up a complete WebRTC-driven video call right from a Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch. This particular demonstration was enough to shake the audience, but at the same time, it's also managed to do a terrific job illustrating one of the biggest selling points that WebRTC has to offer: its multi-device capabilities.
Since WebRTC can operate from a Web browser, that opens it up to use on a host of different devices that contain Web browsers, from smartphones and tablets to laptops and desktops, to even smartwatches like the Galaxy Gear. That's posing a big problem—or a big opportunity—for telecommunications firms, as more people are discovering the kind of advantages that can be had from such a technology. About the only problem users of WebRTC have is finding sufficient bandwidth to accommodate video calling—voice calling is much less bandwidth-intensive—so if telcos can move from providing voice and data bandwidth and instead just provide mobile data, said telcos will be able to provide both services for one kind of network. Those are significant advantages for all concerned, and at least one important reason why users are starting to take more of an interest in WebRTC.
There's still some distance to go, of course. Trying to get people to use an entirely new communications paradigm isn't easy under normal circumstances, but with a little marketing and a few incentives, it may be easier than some might expect. Still, WebRTC has huge potential, and as the applications for it grow, along with the sheer number of platforms on which it can be used, the end result should prove welcome for all concerned with a little adjustment to the way we think about things.
Edited by
Rachel Ramsey
