WebRTC is a technology that is fueling the growth of real-time applications and services over Internet browsers. It’s still relatively new – it was only introduced in 2011 as a technology for developers to use to create voice and video chat applications via HTML and JavaScript APIs and still has a long ways to go before we’ll see more everyday use cases and solutions for WebRTC. But it’s growing, fast. The number of attendees from the June 2013 WebRTC Conference & Expo grew to the November 2013 event, as well as the content being shared, solutions being introduced and types of questions being asked.
As with any technology, there are constantly questions about development, use cases, challenges and advice on furthering the growth and implementations of WebRTC. Here are 12 ways WebRTC can be a benefit – an asset – to your organization.
Image via ABC News
It’s an open-source, free project.
One of key benefits WebRTC offers is it is completely free. Developers do not have to pay to integrate the technology into an application and it is designed to be available across different browsers and websites. Open-source technology means the source code is available to everyone and can be used as a tool for a collaborative effort, so anyone can fix bugs as they are found, and users do not have to wait for the next release or rely on a single company or vendor for development.
It helps lower your costs.
Going along with the fact that WebRTC is free, WebRTC can also help reduce costs. Adding WebRTC capabilities lowers enterprise IT deployment and support costs by eliminating the need to deploy vendor clients.
WebRTC eliminates downloads and plugins.
Visiting a website with real-time communication options can be luring – after all, think about how convenient live chat is when you need it. But having an installation process between the user and the solution will almost always turn a user away, or frustrate them. Today’s customers want easy and real-time, and that’s what WebRTC can deliver.
It also does not require third-party vendors.
The requirement for a third party to be involved in the communications system limits the scale and diversity of services. With WebRTC, there is no such requirement. Each website is essentially its own "service provider," without a requirement of any relationship to a party outside of itself and the user it is enabling to communicate.
Integrated communications makes your online branding unique.
Because communication can be seamlessly integrated into your website, it becomes a part of the experience you offer to users. Optimizing your website and online presence today strongly affects how customers find you and decide whether they want to give you business.
WebRTC offers simplicity and reliability.
In a world of Android operating systems, iOS devices, Windows systems, BlackBerry apps and more, being able to develop for a single interface is pretty valuable. By putting the elements of communications into the browser in an open standard, it eliminates the complexity of developing separate soft clients for each device. The number of touch points is dramatically lower, and there is an ecosystem of interoperability that has been established.
WebRTC can enhance the customer experience.
Being able to shop online is one thing – being able to shop online, share products with your friends in real-time and communicate face-to-face with an customer representative to find the exact product you’re looking for is another. It provides real-time, easy access to information, and is one step closer to a more personalized, realistic experience.
Be able to have and offer richer interactions on websites.
WebRTC enables organizations to offer more lifelike experiences with face-to-face interaction, but it also offers capabilities for clear video and audio, and it enables integration of features, such as real-time data pushes and other website enhancements.
It’s more than just video and voice.
Yes, WebRTC makes communicating online faster, clearer and better. But there’s also the WebRTC data channel, which enables transferring of peer-to-peer data, such as multiplayer gaming or screen sharing.
It enables innovation.
Because developers are working with a relatively simple, open technology, they can be more innovative, focusing more on utilizing the technology for new ideas as opposed to recreating foundations.
Even WebRTC has a place in wearable technology.
One of the hottest tech trends of 2014 is wearable technology. Plantronics is one of the most noteworthy companies working with WebRTC and wearable technology, using it for applications like gesture-based movement, perfect for integrating with GPS like Google Maps or gaming scenarios.
WebRTC offers more security.
A lot of people describe WebRTC as “Skype for the browser,” which, in the long run, is generally true. But WebRTC offers a lot of other things that Skype doesn’t, and one of them is security. WebRTC is the most secure VoIP solution out there. WebRTC blogger and consultant Tsahi Levent-Levi compared security bugs and updates from Google and Chrome to systems like Android and Microsoft. The resolution speed for browsers is way faster (less than 24 hours to detect and resolve) than other operating systems. Browsers have shifted into automatic update, and this can help ensure security and reliability.
There are still standards to be decided on, APIs to be developed and case studies to be shared, but WebRTC is well on its way to disrupting online communications. If you’re interested in learning more about how the technology can impact your business in more detail, the WebRTC Conference & Expo features a number of sessions and has some great attendees, thought leaders in the industry, who share ideas, challenges and solutions – it is an open-source community, after all.
Edited by
Cassandra Tucker
