How WebRTC Boosts Employee Collaboration

Collaborating with your colleagues doesn't always mean you're all in the same room together in the same time zone. In today’s corporate environment, employees are spread across different locations, your partners and customer base worldwide. Corporations have implemented conference call solutions in order to solve this issue, but if you've ever tried conference calling to brainstorm ideas together, you know that it's very limiting to the point where it might stifle creativity. You don't see who you're talking to, eye contact is nearly impossible to make and, more importantly, it's hard to read body language being expressed (remember — 90% of our communication is non-verbal). One of the best ways to collaborate remotely with my colleagues, partners or clients is by video chatting. I'm not talking about popular programs out there like Skype, iChat, or FaceTime that offer a different UI and can't handle the demands of enterprise or pass strict security standards from the most paranoid of IT security specialists. I'm talking about real-time video communication made for the business world that works seamlessly within your IT environment, and comply with your own set of rules. I’m talking about corporate tools leveraging the promises of the open-source WebRTC Technology.

What is WebRTC?

Web Real-Time Communications (WebRTC) is an open protocol that enables web browsers to quickly set-up audio and video connections between two or more computers. [see this article from the Economist for a good intro] Since its inception by Google and a few other players, WebRTC has gained significant momentum and is now endorsed by major industry players as the preferred method for creating a customized real-time communication experience in any web app. However, WebRTC is only the tip of the iceberg. Today, WebRTC has limited browser compatibility with no native mobile support, and the draft standard does not address the transport layer. This makes it challenging for developers to create a consistent experience across all devices and provide enterprise level Quality of Service (QoS).

How to add face-to- face video calls to all your apps and what do you get from it?

Some API vendors have developed full API/SDK that extend the real-time capabilities to non-WebRTC browsers and mobile devices. By adding just a few lines of code to your application you can add a vide chat experience and avoid using an external software and provide your contact with cumbersome connection information. You can just click on your contact icon and start a video chat right away. This makes it easier to communicate with your contacts, including customers, that you can’t expect to be all using the same client, or even have them in your Skype contact list. With WebRTC, you can invite anybody to your meeting. All they need is a Web browser. There are numerous features that can come along with a WebTRC implementation but one must is having the ability to share any application you want. You could easily do a demo of a new software or show a presentation slideshow. Collaborating isn't just about sharing ideas, but also learning more about each other and making meaningful connections. Together video chatting and application sharing create a digital work place and help you bridge those communication gaps helping your company work better as a team to come up with breakthrough ideas or solutions.

How to get it widely deployable?

You need a webRTC platform that relies on a telecom-grade infrastructure designed to handle the demands of high volume, enterprise-class clients. A platform that addresses the unique needs of latency and jitter sensitive real-time video infrastructures that are media processing centric but also extremely network I/O centric. If you picked the right WebRTC PaaS that can meet strict SLAs requirement, you'll be impressed by how reliable and good the video and voice call quality are and how strong it remains even when you have multiple users around the world. On the video side, with camera and screen resolutions that are greatly improved, you can set a video chat in high resolution, typically QHD for latest smartphone or the big plasma screen in your meeting room. On the voice side, advanced techniques such as automatic echo cancellation prevent echoes from being created or removing it after it is already present.

What are you waiting for?

SightCall Video Service doesn't disrupt your workflow, is multi-browser compatible and works on any mobile devices. It can be integrated right within your corporate live chat, your enterprise social network or any of your web applications. All you have to do is to copy and paste a piece of JavaScript code into your Web application or linking and compiling SightCall code in your mobile app, and SightCall will deal with all the behind-the-scenes complexity to provide a secure, real-time video and data stream to your colleagues, partners and clients. It’s as easy as adding contextual menus into your apps! Next time your team is scattered around the world or your clients can't be in the same room with you, don't limit yourself with the usual non-visual, auditory communication. Try Sightcall video service to get the best out of your collaboration and team work, and save travel cost. Connect and engage your mobile workforce today with SightCall!