WebRTC: Present and Future of Enterprise Communications

Currently, the customer service sector is immersed in a constant change. In an environment marked by omnichannel, in which the customer is the center of all business loyalty strategies, a technology is imposing itself, each time with more force and above the others, as the new standard on the part of the companies as a means of customer service: WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communications).

If, with VoIP, communications went to the Internet as a means to establish voice calls, with WebRTC a further step is taken and extended to multimedia communications (voice, video, chat, file sharing or combinations of these) between devices connected to the Internet, whether computers, smartphones or tablets.

In this way, WebRTC technology converts web browsers into streaming audio and video applications in real time. Thus, with WebRTC, users can make voice calls, video calls or share screens directly from the browser or mobile application without the need to download, install or configure any special plug-in. Therefore, companies and customers can communicate more quickly, directly and smoothly.

Why users and companies choose WebRTC?

WebRTC applications have benefits for companies, their customers and their employees. All of them with the sole purpose of offering a better customer service:

• From the point of view of the user, for being able to establish communications from the browser or mobile app without having to install any additional software.

• From the point of view of the developer, for the ease to build powerful real-time communications applications without needing knowledge of telecommunications (VoIP) or network protocols.

• From the point of view of service development, because the browsers most used by Internet users (Chrome and Firefox) are those that give WebRTC better support as a technology to develop services, according to GlobalStats data.

All these reasons have led big names in the Internet world to join the WebRTC technology: first Microsoft with its Edge browser and, more recently, Apple has also added WebRTC support in the browser of its iOS operating system.

What applications and services can be developed with WebRTC?

WebRTC technology provides the tools for the development of services where imagination is the limit. Let’s see some examples:

A case of obvious use in banking is that of identity authentication. A financial institution can implement an identity validation service based on WebRTC to open an account. The user can initiate a session from his mobile or PC with the entity to perform the account opening transaction, which will be carried out in minutes. Sessions can be recorded for regulatory compliance purposes, something of particular importance to the banking sector.

In corporate environments, audio or video multi-conference services are well known. Traditionally, these were proprietary services in which you had to call by phone, use a specific application or, at least, download a plug-in for the browser. Through WebRTC you can organize a conference by simply sharing a link that allows you to immediately join the conference without having to install anything and with guaranteed compatibility by the browser.

In customer service or sales the use of WebRTC facilitates contact with customers through a website, avoiding the inconvenience of having to change the communication channel, since the client does not need a telephone and dial a number, but can contact directly by voice or video from your browser, from the website of the company. Additionally, specific information can be sent to the section of the web where the client is located so that the agent that answers the call has context information.

In social networks, using WebRTC can be implemented the realization of voice and video calls to contacts or instant messaging in a very natural and appropriate, ensuring the operation to be based on the browser.

Unified communications solutions providers have in WebRTC the natural ally to easily incorporate the browser as a “terminal” of their solution and offer services comparable to those provided by a proprietary application or a physical terminal, achieving a consistent user experience in all channels.

The examples above are just a few samples of serviceable types that can be developed and demonstrate the enormous potential of WebRTC technology.

WebRTC: present and future of enterprise communications

WebRTC is becoming a real game changer in the world of corporate communications, since it is a technology that opens the door to the development of new applications and services both in the features they offer and in the fact that they can be supported natively, thus facilitating user access.

Therefore, WebRTC is not only the present of company communications, but according to prestigious consulting firms such as Gartner, it will become the new standard for companies as a means of customer service. In fact, according to data from this consultancy, 15% of companies will have WebRTC in 2019.

Undoubtedly, this would be a very important advance and a step forward in the relationship between the client and the company, as numerous studies have already shown that people are more open to buying and maintaining loyalty to a brand or organization if the customer service they offer is fast, efficient and simple.

In addition, the Technavio consultancy has highlighted in one of its reports that the global WebRTC market will reach 3 billion dollars by 2020. This report also highlights the growing demand in the United States for profitable and user-friendly communications based on browsers, as well as that the EMEA region is the second largest WebRTC market. For its part, the study points to the increase in demand for low-cost communication solutions in the Middle East and Asia as another driver of growth in this market. Finally, the consultant highlights the growing global popularity of WebRTC mobile applications, thanks to its simple development.

With these data, there is no doubt that WebRTC is the present and will be the future of business communications.