WebRTC vs. proprietary software

When it comes to the topic of video conferencing, the solutions available on the market are divided into two main categories: those that require the installation of a specific proprietary software and those that use the WebRTC standard instead. This type of web service has nothing to envy to proprietary software, such as Skype, but offers the undeniable advantage of being able to use a browser as the only requirement.

WebRTC: what it is and how it works

WebRTC (Web Real Time Communications) is a communication standard with native support for the live streaming of audio and video content from the browser without the need for additional plug-ins or the installation of external components. With this standard, you can turn your browser into a video conferencing endpoint.

By not requiring any installation, it is possible to exploit this communication method even on relatively old machines or with limited computing power. Furthermore, it is usually possible to use it even on company laptops that do not allow workers to install any software.

The communication is managed by the service servers and the audio and video quality optimized in real time. In the security field, communications are all protected and encrypted. The interface is based on HTML5 and therefore the only requirement is a browser that supports it. Only excluded is therefore Internet Explorer, which has been replaced by Microsoft Edge.

Advantages

The quality of communication in a WebRTC service is delegated to video and audio codecs. This guarantees excellent performance regardless of the audio / video hardware you have. However, this is only part of what WebRTC-based web services can offer.

Cloud Web Conference offered by SOD also provides other useful tools such as the shared whiteboard, group chat, the possibility of creating separate “rooms” for the participants, up to the possibility of using presentations and sharing the screen among the participants.

All this, without the need to install any program on your computer, minimizing the impact on the operating system and hard disk.

Therefore, the advantages for companies include an interesting reduction in the costs of communication services to support their employees or customers. Communication is definitively independent from the device and an infinite frontier of integration with other services is opened, from email clients to advanced collaboration platforms.

Disadvantages

If there is a fault to be found in WebRTC systems, it is the dependence on the speed of the available network.

In fact, if it is true that the hardware resources are minimal (the possibility of using a browser), the network resources required can still be limiting. Unfortunately in Italy there are still geographic areas where the connection is particularly slow and this could influence the quality of video calls also through a WebRTC service.

For most users, however, it is a very minimal risk. In addition, it is a problem that is also encountered with the use of proprietary software for video calls.

Uses of WebRTC services

Video conferencing or video calling services have become of fundamental importance in this historical period. The need to communicate remotely has become concrete. Being unable to meet live has magnified this need.

Using services based on the WebRTC communication standard has quickly become the preferred solution. Companies that have adopted this standard to move their meetings over the network have not had to worry about installing any software. Even students and teachers were able to finish the 2019/2020 school cycle without worrying too much about the computers available to them.

WebRTC-based video conferencing services have proven to have few obstacles to communication, facilitating many aspects in the working and educational world.

Multiplatform

The absence of an installation brings with it an additional advantage: independence from any operating system or device.

WebRTC services are available wherever it is possible to use a browser, therefore also on mobile devices. In fact, you are further free to communicate with anyone, in any situation and from anywhere. The interface of the Cloud Web Conference service is designed first of all for portable devices, guaranteeing a clear and simple experience in every situation.

Conclusions

WebRTC technology, widely supported by practically every browser in circulation, offers countless advantages to its users and more and more services rely on this standard to offer their videoconferencing solution.

It is to be expected that this will become the standard in a short time, supplanting the proprietary software also in the communication field. It has already happened with data storage and cloud servers, it is only a matter of time.

The advice is therefore to evaluate services such as SOD Cloud Web Conference for your video calls.

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Useful links:

Cloud Conference

Videoconferencing platform

Communications: Webinar and video calls