Nowadays, WebRTC is a hot and progressive topic. The question is whether this technology is mature enough to be used in business or not. In this article we’ll consider some distinctive features of WebRTC in order to help you to decide if WebRTC is worth your attention and ready to become an alternative to “traditional” web communication software such as Skype.

Skype vs. WebRTC. The Current State of Affairs

Skype is an app intended for making audio/video calls and exchange text messages or files over the Internet. The first version of this app was released back in 2003 and was originally adapted for voice communication. Being one of the first platforms that implement VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) technology, it gained incredible popularity since then. According to the Microsoft announce that was made at the Build 2016 conference, Skype has over 300 million monthly active users. Taking into account that you can use Skype on a desktop, mobile, or via the web, there’s nothing surprising that it’ll be the most obvious choice in the case you want to call your customer or colleague from the other end of the earth.

WebRTC, on the other hand, is not a ready-to-use application, but technology. It allows implementing real-time communication via the web browser. For a user, there’s no need to install any additional software or a third-party browser plug-in to get an opportunity to exchange text messages, files, or make audio/video calls. Every developer will be pleased with WebRTC API that allows implementing the required functionality with the minimum amount of code. These features became the reason of WebRTC popularity growth. This technology was released by Google in May 2011, and after five years of its existing, in June 2016, Google provided the following statistics :

Two billion Chrome browsers with WebRTC support

One billion WebRTC audio and video minutes per week on Chrome

1200 WebRTC-based companies and projects

Five billion mobile app downloads that include WebRTC

According to the opinion of the analysts, the global WebRTC market will grow at a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 34.37% during the period 2017–2021. One of the primary drivers for the web real-time communication market is the high demand for audio/video chat services available without downloading any additional plugins. The rising number of WebRTC-enabled devices has led to the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trend. It’s a new trend in workplaces that encourages employees to use their own mobile devices for business communication needs.

As you can see, we’re talking about the similar concepts here. These two platforms provide pretty much the same services. The ways of how these services are provided differ, though. Skype is a web communication app while WebRTC is a tool that allows implementing the functionality required for web communication. It may seem that preferring WebRTC over Skype is not a very wise choice since it implies spending additional efforts. Instead of using Skype that you’re familiar with, you’ll have to spend some time on research and choose the solution that suits your needs better among the available options. As an alternative, you can create your own WebRTC application using your company’s resources or hire a software development company, for example. So, is the game worth the candle? Well, let’s take a look at how you can benefit by choosing WebRTC.

Why WebRTC Is Worthy of Your Attention

Сustom-Tailored Approach

Unlike Skype, WebRTC is an open-source technology. Each business has its unique needs, which means that requirements to the software may vary from one company to another. Skype is a proprietary app which is owned by Microsoft. It can’t be altered according to the particular needs of your business. If there is something that does not suit you, you just have to put up with it. WebRTC, in its turn, allows configuring your communication software on an individual basis. Whether you’re in search of a one-on-one video chatting app or your goal is to get the possibility to hold online working meetings with company’s employees from all around the world, WebRTC can be useful. If your needs change, the software that you use can be changed too. With WebRTC, there’s no need in tons of code for adding extra functionality.

Don’t you absolutely love it when Skype developers change communication protocols, and you can’t call your colleague who hasn’t upgraded his version of the app yet? No? Neither do we. WebRTC based apps are more reliable in this aspect thanks to the very nature of this technology. You don’t have to install anything, so there’s no need to keep track of updates in order to be sure that your version of the app supports all the current features. You can open a WebRTC app in your browser and enjoy the functionality of its latest version. It will work on any platform with no need to install third-party add-ons.

Security Aspect

Due to its incredible popularity, Skype has become some kind of synonymous with online video chatting. That’s why it’s pretty attractive to hackers. There are some well-known facts that malefactors have already learned how to get access to messages sent via Skype and have some experience in decoding protocols of voice and video conversations. You can be completely sure that there will be new vulnerabilities in future and all you can do is to hope that developers will release a new patch earlier than anybody will be able to get access to the sensitive business data.

For security reasons, it’s better to use custom made apps that were designed to ensure the integrity of your data. Despite the fact that WebRTC requires just a couple lines of code to implement the basic video chatting app functionality, it is not as simple as it seems. According to the type of data that you’re going to transmit (e.g., video, text, files. etc.), WebRTC uses one of the available security protocols: DTLS (Datagram Transport Layer Security) or SRTP (Secure Real-time Transport Protocol). These protocols will ensure that the data transfer process is secured with the encryption keys. The TLS/SSL standards support allows using secure HTTPS connection. End-to-end encryption can guarantee that no third-party will be able to get access to your data which is of particular importance in the case of business communication apps.

Example of WebRTC Video Chatting App

Our Web-based Video Conferencing App is a good example of a lightweight chatting application based on WebRTC.

This web application supports all the features required by any chatting app. There’s a fast connection with a video group, text messaging, notifications support, search bar, etc. Users can change the default setting to create a configuration that better fit their needs. Developers have implemented group chats to provide users with the possibility to hold meetings over the Internet. You can add up to 3000 users to group chat and up to 5 users to the video/audio call. There’s a possibility to share files with your colleagues or record the conference if needed. User authorization allows securing your business communications.

Peer-to-peer XB Chat based on OpenTok

XB Chat is a WebRTC live video chat solution that provides both sales agents and customers with functionality requiring to increase communication efficiency. This chat allows holding text, audio, and video conversations. A manager can initialize a new chatting session and name a created chat room so it’ll reflect its purpose. A customer can be invited to the chatting room via the invitation link. Audio/video chat can contain up to five users.​​

Conclusions

There are many other reasons why WebRTC is gaining such popularity. It allows implementing almost any idea associated with the transfer of audio and video data between users. You can create scalable p2p chats that will work flawlessly both for 3 and 3000 users. As an example, you can check this Peer-To-Peer Video Chat Application that supports such features as screen sharing, file transferring, inviting new users via the link, and many others.

If we talk specifically about the needs of business, the features which you should pay attention to are the possibility to create custom apps that will suit your business needs, high reliability and attention to data security. Creating your own private WebRTC video chatting app won’t lead to significant losses regarding money or time since the Google company has done everything possible to simplify the development process.