webrtc global summit summary 2014

WebRTC Global Summit 2014

Telephony is not dead, its just becoming a bit-part in the emerging web-centric communications landscape.

Enrico gave a good review of where many telcos are in their WebRTC learning

This slide highlights the approach TI is taking to WebRTC. Its focus is interop, new services and exposure. That is, using WebRTC for communications not just telephony. He also has question

marks on the role of the traditional telco and the need to buy. WebRTC is encouraging many groups in telcos to question how they build new services, with build rather than buy becoming

more common, adopting a web-centric approach.

The challenges are common for many developers working with WebRTC in trying to replicate telephony-like services. Interestingly TI built its own signaling protocol, to keep

things very simple.

The potential of WebRTC is great, it will in time revolutionize how communication services are created within and without telcos. At the event there was a discussion on whether a WebRTC model made more sense for VoLTE. WebRTC by itself can not replace IMS/VoLTE, but the

broader tools are available and maturing to create a web-centric alternative.

Bottom-line, inaction is not an option.

WebRTC is an evolution from a technology perspective. However, the impact of this technology platform on telecoms will, in time, be revolutionary. The role telcos play

however in this emerging ecosystem is not yet clear.

Apart from the power issue most of these issues are non-issues for developers. The role telcos play in WebRTC is not obvious. Not because they can not add value, e.g. TURN

services or global signaling networks. But can they understand web-developers and offer services at the price points and speed web developers need?

This is the standard architecture most telcos are examining when exploring WebRTC.

WebRTC promotes lots of competition, its unclear operators will move fast enough to remain relevant as communication experiences get better and more diverse. Telephony is

not dead, its just becoming a bit-part in the emerging web-centric communications landscape.

Trent reviewed the impact of WebRTC as real time communications becomes part of the Web.

And the negativity around SDP, which was adopted in WebRTC 1.0 as its part of SIP.

There is now an active community defining a simpler approach. Like many initiatives on the web, the market is likely to decide on this one. It may get wrapped up into WebRTC 2.0

if adoption makes it defacto.

This slide from Oracle sums up the pitch from many vendors for their WebRTC gateway / solutions. It applies to some of the WebRTC scenarios, but also the web approach to real

time communications has relevance within the telco’s network not just at the edge.

Nice slide from Italtel that summarizes many in the industry’s view on RCS (the Joyn logo has now been dropped). The GSMA needs to take emergency corrective action rather than ignoring market reality as it does in many of its initiatives. Put simply the GSMA does not understand the web-centric world telecoms is moving toward. And instead misdirects the attention of the industry, http://alanquayle.com/2014/02/mwc-2014-art-misdirection/