IDG Contributor Network: Why now is the time for WebRTC
More than six years ago an ambitious, real-time communications project was spearheaded by Google. What emerged was a powerful, open-source tool capable of equipping web browsers with the ability to support voice and video conferencing and data sharing.
Aptly named WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication), this collection of protocols and interfaces enabled audio and video setup over peer-to-peer connections without the need for expensive or complex back-end software. Most appealing, WebRTC made it possible to deploy click-to-start meetings without downloading a dedicated app or plug-in.
Despite this, WebRTC faced hurdles in the early years, including battles over which standards and codecs would be implemented and a lack of support from major browsers and legacy communications providers. But now we’ve reached a tipping point— with more than three billion dollars of investment involved—WebRTC is finally starting to see critical adoption.