Web Real-Time Communication, also known under the term WebRTC, is an Open Source project which was launched over five years ago. The open standard enables real-time communication via audio, video, chat and file sharing within Web applications or mobile apps on iOS and Android. This technology can undoubtedly be considered the pioneering communication technology. For if you Google "WebRTC", you will get numerous hits on the project and the opportunities offered by these new ways of communicating, which are possible with the use of WebRTC. But why is WebRTC such a hot topic at the moment? And how can it change everyday business communication in the future?

One of the key differences compared to the current nature of communication is without a doubt the possibility of communicating directly via a Web browser. And this usually without the need for any plug-ins. It is especially in corporate communication that thanks to the new opportunities and their simplicity that WebRTC can become a future quasi-standard. The potential for this is certainly there. For with the help of WebRTC, companies can not only communicate more easily, but also more cost-effectively in real time. This applies at least in in-house communication where, for example, a Unified Communication (UC) infrastructure is used for communication within a company. But cost savings alone don't yet justify the reputation of the "future nature of business communication" of WebRTC. What other opportunities arise for companies through WebRTC?

In a nutshell, WebRTC offers the following opportunities for companies with regard to improving their in-house and external communication.

• No installation of client software on employees' computers
• Simple real-time communication for support cases or customer Webinars
• Companies with distributed sites and home office workers benefit in many application scenarios (video conferences, customer presentations etc.)
• Customers can call the company directly via the homepage with just once click
• No need for time-consuming and expensive business trips through the increased use of WebRTC technology
• Significantly simplified cooperation between employees on site and those who work from home

Even if this list of communication scenarios can certainly be extended to include numerous other application cases, just the possibilities listed here offer considerable benefits in comparison with corporate communication without WebRTC. The open standard offers innovative and simplified application scenarios especially in the field of Unified Communication (UC). Of course the manufacturers of Unified Communication solutions have also been observing these developments with great interest, and with the help of WebRTC they can offer quite a lot of additional functionality compared with a conventional telephone system.

So if you are thinking of replacing your existing conventional telephone system in the future, make sure that the new Unified Communication system via WebRTC can offer at least the possibilities listed above. And in any case take the entire communications environment into consideration. For a Unified Communication solution can only exploit all the opportunities in conjunction with state-of-the-art third-party solutions. The future communications strategy should not only cover in-house communication but also external communication.

The talkbase attendant solution offers state-of-the-art functions, is 100% Web-based and already currently supports WebRTC. Talkbase is a Web-based attendant console solution which significantly facilitates the work of your receptionists and offers them many options for supporting your telephone operations.