WebRTC enables real-time communication in any browser. WebRTC primarily provides building blocks for high-quality forms of communication, such as audio and video components for chat or other communication applications. WebRTC thus promises a new generation of video, voice and data web applications. Developers can even design their own apps as WebRTC can be accessed via a Java Script API. WebRTC has therefore caused a real media frenzy.

Now you might think that not much has happened in the last few years and WebRTC has fallen short of expectations. But you would be wrong, because a lot has already happened behind the scenes. The reason why this hasn’t spread yet is because many WebRTC applications are not obvious to the user. However, in the business world, the impact of WebRTC is already profound.

WebRTC has become a central component for many business communication projects. For example, contact center operations are drastically simplified from the cloud. With WebRTC, a complete, cloud-based contact center can be created easily and quickly using a Chromebox. All you need for this cloud-based contact center is a Chromebox, a screen or monitor, a headset, an internet connection and a cloud-based automatic call distribution (ACD).

Users can access the WebRTC-based client directly from their Chrome browser, with the ACD centrally controlled. Companies can set up the whole thing for around €250 per user – an offer that can revolutionize the entire market.

WebRTC also offers enormous cost advantages when expanding existing PBX solutions via the cloud. Instead of an expensive headset with a device, the browser now becomes the access point for the user. In addition, codec conversion (transcoding) previously stood in the way of using WebRTC to create cloud-based PBX solutions. Nowadays this is hardly a problem anymore, as most VoIP providers handle this entirely with their SIP infrastructure.

Of course, there is still a long way to go. WebRTC’s success relies on its ability to support all major browsers. Remarkably, Apple has yet to follow suit. So far, all Safari users, who according to statistics make up just under 11 percent of all browser users (as of December 2015), are excluded from using WebRTC apps.

In general, WebRTC creates another convenient access point for ACDs – after all, most users, for example from Salesforce, access their CRM tools via browsers. Another indication of the still unnoticed breakthrough of cloud service delivery, thanks to the unique solutions and high quality of communication.