When it comes to Web-based real time communications (WebRTC), there was one big problem sort of holding the rest of the field back. While plenty of browsers were putting the technology to work, there were two major browsers that seemed uninterested in the development for several reasons. But thanks to a new plugin for Microsoft Internet Explorer and Apple Safari now available from Temasys Communications, these two can be brought forth into WebRTC regardless of the corporate feeling about the new communications tool.
Temasys' new tool comes from its work as part of both the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), two organizations who both have been seen working to help define just what WebRTC technology is and does, as well as somewhat of how it works. So that puts Temasys in a good position as far as giving users of Safari and Internet Explorer a chance to step up to the kind of value offered by WebRTC.
Originally, Temasys offered up its WebRTC plugin at no charge for end users, allowing individuals to gain access to the technology in question. But now, Temasys is stepping things up a bit with licensing options geared toward service providers as well as applications developers, allowing the concept to go into still-wider use.
Temasys' CEO, Chip Wilcox, offered up commentary around the plugin's reception so far, and the numbers surrounding its use are rather staggering. The free plugin alone—which launched back in May, according to Wilcox—saw better than 100,000 downloads in under its first 100 days, and has since been involved in several million minutes' worth of combined use. The sheer size of that body of use has, in turn, allowed Temasys to engage in some field testing, allowing the company to get a better handle on both current and future uses. Wilcox elaborated from there, saying “The huge worldwide user base that already has Internet Explorer and Safari installed along with their Microsoft and Apple software operating systems was previously underserved in terms of high-quality audio, video and peer-to-peer data exchange,. We believe that enabling WebRTC in browsers that lack any native support will greatly appeal to service providers and developers around the world who want to enrich their apps and service offerings by providing a more complete user experience for business communications.”
Given reports from Smith's Point Analytics that suggest the market for cloud-based RTC will be worth $4.8 billion by 2018, it's clear that there's a lot at stake when it comes to having a WebRTC presence. Those who used Internet Explorer and Safari may well have been left behind on this one, but with Temasys' plugin, the option to put this tool to work is now available, and is already starting to represent a major new development in the field. Between the ability to add easy ways for customers to contact businesses via a website and the means to better connect employees of the same business and beyond—as well as the increasing array of other functions WebRTC can bring into play, it's easy to see why there's such a value attached to this market.
Only time will tell just how far Temasys' plugin can go in the field, but based on what's been seen in recent days and what's likely to be seen before too much more time has passed, this is one system that's likely to see quite a bit of use.
Edited by
Stefania Viscusi
