It wasn't so long ago when we first took a look at Ondello, a company out to bring a new line of tools for users in the Web-based real time communications (WebRTC) field. The biggest tool the company had at the time was the Ondello Meeting Service, a tool which brought easy access to Web conferencing, and all at the browser level. Recently, however, Ondello brought out some significant augmentations to the Ondello platform, making it substantially better than the previous version.
While Ondello's earlier product just came out in July, the company said it found some major ways to upgrade the performance of the platform. For instance, Ondello has boosted the speed with which a connection can be established, allowing connection speeds to drop from 10 seconds to just under two seconds. Ondello accomplished this via what CEO Mark Hadfield describes as “some clever engineering,” specifically, by connecting the audio part of the call first. Since this is usually sufficient for many users, it allows for faster connections for most. Those who want to get into video can do so directly from the audio call, making the wait not only shorter for most, but for those who need the full video, distraction is available.
That's not the only significant improvement made here, as Ondello has also doubled the screen sharing resolution. Improvements in the WebRTC platform overall made this possible, and this was a welcome development for many users as improved screen sharing resolution is one of the most requested features Ondello receives.
Further improvements came with the Contacts and Upcoming pages, which now function as a single page application. This allows users to quickly switch between the two pages without the need to refresh the page, and there are plans later to add the meeting room to the single page application, which would allow users to go from an active meeting to another part of the app, and all the while keep the active meeting up and running. These are all said to be coming in over the course of the next three weeks. Finally, there's one more boost to the overall package, as there were updates for the Desktop application that not only provides access to Ondello capability but also makes users accessible to others on the contact list without the need to log in.
No product exists long in a vacuum, especially when it comes to a product in such a new field as WebRTC. Ondello's clear predilection toward augmenting its product bodes well for its users, and considering how many competitors are likely to arrive in Ondello's field, it's going to be very valuable for Ondello to keep refining and improving its products to keep it ahead of the pack.
Hadfield made one other point back when Ondello first started showing up back in July: The easier it is to develop apps for WebRTC, the more such apps will appear with a variety of different purposes, giving customers more options. This philosophy is likely guiding Ondello's development, and when a company is aware of its position in the field, the more likely it is to work hard to provide value for its customers. Ondello users, it looks like you're in for a great experience.
Edited by
Stefania Viscusi
