Say hello to WebRTC, A HTML5 framework that will revolutionise the web Aaron Lumsden

Say Hello to WebRTC, a HTML5 Framework That Will Revolutionise the Web Written by Aaron Lumsden on 16 Oct 2012

WebRTC stands for Web Real Time Communication and allows for the direct sharing of large files such as audio and video in real time between browsers. In this introduction I’m going to be looking at how this new technology could revolutionise the web.

Currently the WebRTC project is supported by Google, Mozilla and Opera. The technology is proving to be so popular that is estimated that it will be part of all major browsers within the next three to four months.

What is WebRTC?

WebRTC makes way for real time communication between browsers. In 2004 Ajax was introduced which allowed part of a web page to be updated rather than the whole page. This increased load time within web pages and allowed for a smoother user experience. WebRTC is like ajax on steroids!

It’s basically an open framework that increases network speed in the transmission of audio, video and other components. These components can then be accessed through Javascript API’s which allow us developers to create high speed audio and video chat applications with ease.

When would I use WebRTC?

Initially the technology will prove popular in peer to peer video and audio chat style applications. Google already utilise this on thier ‘Google talk’ product. It’s not only great for any video/audio chat application but will also be beneficial to any kind of peer to peer, browser to browser communication app such as screen sharing or even instant peer to peer. Imagine Napster but with instant results.

What will be the benefits of WebRTC?

Previously it’s been difficult to implement such features with ease but due to WebRTC being relatively easy to use, it will surge the way for developers to experiment on this great new technology. Leading to more innovative experimentation with it and hopefully paving the way for a seamless instant web experience. The results of this innovation will, I’m sure, lead to apps that have never been before capable on the web.

To read more about WebRTC’s API’s you can visit the official API documentation.

Have you tried using WebRTC? What do you think of it? Are you excited about the news of it? Let me know in the comments below.