WebRTC is the latest technology in video conferencing and peer-to-peer network that is contributed by Google to the Open-Source Community. Since its release to public, developers around the world has embraced it and developed newer systems around it. Mozilla is including WebRTC on future releases of Firefox. Skype, Microsoft and other large vendors are seriously considering it to their technology stack. Support of major technology players is important because large market share is needed to become the standard. WebRTC is definitely a candidate to become the standard protocol for video conferencing.
So what is WebRTC and how will it affect me?
For regular users, WebRTC means easier way to call your friends and family. You can use your regular web browser to call and achieve better quality than most communication tools out there. It also means you’ll use less of your regular telephone and more of Internet communication. Since WebRTC is peer-to-peer, communication is decentralized and users can communicate directly without relying on a server. This is useful when communicating during emergencies and disasters.
What is the future of WebRTC?
I don’t know! 🙂 But I can tell you that the potential is huge. There are a lot of applications of WebRTC other than just video conferencing. The peer-to-peer support of WebRTC can be used for P2P data transfer (like torrents), it can also be used for P2P web browsing. This could potentially change the way servers work now as data access can be decentralized across all users.
If WebRTC is adopted as standard protocol, it can also mean that all the communication app out there can be integrated. Currently, applications like Vber, WeChat, Line only works within their network. All these applications are trying to get larger customer base, but what really matters is the integration of all these application so that one day, Vber can call WeChat or Line and vice-versa. The quickest route to achieve this is through WebRTC because it is an open standard.
Ideyatech is currently working with WebRTC to develop new products for work related communication.