WebRTC technologies are growing to expand upon newer and more advanced applications of the original concept to preform new functions. In its inception, WebRTC was thought to replace Skype and similar programs since it uses browser-based video technology to perform the same functions without having to synchronize software between two communicating parties. Already, WebRTC developers are discovering they can use these tools to embed live video into websites and use programs together with colleagues to collaborate instantly. The world of WebRTC is growing at a rapid pace, but here are some of this week's headlines to help make sense of where the industry is today, and where it is going.
News is still pouring out of the WebRTC Conference and Expo IV, where industry leaders met to unveil new products and discuss the best ways to help one another develop the technology behind WebRTC. One group that got attention was IceWarp, who won the Best All Around WebRTC Technology Award at the expo for their global messaging solutions and the included all-in-one security solutions.
Another WebRTC company that has been receiving big press for their announcements in the expo is TokBox, who is increasingly finding themselves in the news for developing new WebRTC products, including their cloud platform for embedding live video in websites. At the expo, TokBox announced they would be bringing x86 coverage to the android, an update to their SDK and archiving options.
In other news Cisco recently acquired Assemblage, a startup WebRTC/HTML5 collaboration firm, and this purchase opens up the window for allowing two users to browse the Internet together. Through screen sharing and WebRTC protocols used together, Cisco could be delivering co-browsing software in the near future. Assemblage's tools could even connect mobile and desktop users together, allowing them to share control of a web browser.
Finally, the growing usage of WebRTC protocols has many wondering how other IP services might fare in its wake, such as SIP trunking and the Internet of Things. Could WebRTC video conversations entirely replace voice communication in the near future? Will the Internet of Things even bother integrating WebRTC protocols within its infrastructure? Only time can give solid answers to these questions, but that doesn't stop experts like Gary Audin from speculating.
