WebRTC has the potential to transform the way we communicate because it merges the worlds of traditional telephony and the Web. Here are the top stories in the WebRTC space this week.
WebRTC is still in its infancy, meaning that there are competing projects to standardize the industry. Namely, there are two different WebRTC projects that utilize Open Real-time Communications API (ORCA for short), which go by the names ORTC and ORCA.js. WebRTC’s current API formats are still somewhat complicated, and require a session description protocol (SDP) to be combined with traditional (and complex) telephony design, which takes both time and experience to implement.
ORTC, which is developed by the World Wide Web Consortium, seeks to address these issues with a simpler API format. One of ORTC’s major goals is also to provide backward compatibility for the easy upgrade of existing WebRTC API protocols. Even if this format is not adopted widely, bits and pieces of it are expected to make it into the final WebRTC unified format.
4COM, a German provider of cloud-based contact center solutions, recently optimized its services with WebRTC integration for direct support. With the integration, users can contact a 4COM Solution Architect or customer service agent directly from a Web browser in real-time – the promise and draw of WebRTC. Customers can embed WebRTC functionality into their own websites and offer video and voice capabilities for any device, such as smartphones and tablets. The future of Web communications is that a separate telephone or special software will no longer be required.
PeerSquared is one way people are taking advantage of WebRTC in order to advance online education. In order to use this particular solution, two people simply log into two different screens; one as a teacher, one as student. Once both have logged in using a P2P connection and a connection is made, the teacher is able to get quite creative using a whiteboard.
A free trial for NTT Communications’ WebRTC Chat on SkyWay application is now available, enabling users to easily communicate via voice or video without downloading any plug-in or logging in with any information. Creating and joining a conference room is easy – users simply have to name a room and it becomes the room URL (chat.skyway.io/roomname). Rooms can also be password locked to protect and secure communications.
BCSocial is designed to make workflow visual to all team members, and in effect the integration of messaging adds notation to projects without the clutter in the documentation itself. BrowseTel’s integration takes the notation beyond the platform by supplying the ability to — don’t wait for it — communicate in real-time. As the next generation of socially interactive users continues to take the role of leadership, these social collaborative tools are certain to gain popularity. Check out our interview with BCSocial and BrowseTel.
Be sure to visit WebRTC World next week for the latest industry trends, news, companies and resources. Have a great weekend.
