Ericsson Reveals an Experimental WebRTC-enabled Browser for iOS and Android Based Mobile Devices

In exploring the future of person-to-person real-time voice and video communication, Ericsson, a global provider of telecom equipment and services to mobile and fixed network operators, has shared some news from Ericsson Labs that Ericsson Research’s developed a WebRTC-enabled browser for mobile devices.

Ericsson has released an "experimental" WebRTC-enabled browser for both iOS and Android based mobile devices with JavaScript APIs and HTML5, called The Bowser. It is what will provide developers an entire browser to render and use the JavaScript engine to extend Web apps on mobile devices.

The Bowser, which is available for free – to download – at Apple's USA App Store (for both iPhone and iPad devices) and on Google Play (for both Android powered mobile phones and tablets), will give Web developers the technology to enable server to server communications in order to get audio and video on and off the Internet.


Image via Shutterstock

Ericsson Research uses its own independent evolving standard, for an interoperable approach to real-time communication (RTC) – not the webrtc.org framework – to enable audio and video functionality in mobile Web applications without the need for any plug-ins.

Having developed prototype implementations over the last few years and having built its first version of an experimental WebRTC-enabled browser back in 2011 for desktops, Ericsson has been able to come up with its own application programming interface (API) that embodies the WebRTC standard, which is based on work ongoing within the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) to develop a standard API, to define the specification to enable real-time communications in Web browsers; one that uses different media back-ends. 

From having put the media engine into a browser that Bowser implements and exposes, both iOS and Android based devices can start experimenting with a WebRTC-enabled browser by Ericsson as of today. Again, Bowser is available today as a free download, so why not check it out.

Adding real-time communication into a browser for mobile devices can create a broad new range of capabilities for the client.

Are you interested in learning more about WebRTC Communications? Then be sure to attend WebRTC Conference and Expo in San Francisco, Calif. from November 27-29. Stay in touch with everything happening at WebRTC Expo: Follow us on Twitter.