MARKET REPORT Conferencing
“With technology like WebRTC, every device can be a video conferencing unit, your laptop, your desktop, even
your mobile device, all you need is a web browser and a webcam. “
Ian Rowan, UK Channel Manager at Wildix
different browsers so most
providers will still provide a
native application where they
can ensure that all elements
will work. Until WebRTC is
genuinely able to provide a native
app experience, it will likely be
the choice for occasional and oneoff
users.”
“It has not overtaken the
market,” says Simon Hughes,
at Trust, “but is used and works
well alongside it. Using WebRTC
on its own could mean the user
experiences poor quality but
integrate it with audio and video
conference units and the result is
a high-quality conference.”
Steven Ansell at Comstor,
notes that increasingly users don’t
want to download apps.
“In the case of Webex, there
is a signification rise in the
number using the WebRTC
option of joining meetings. In
many cases, where compliance
and security concerns prevent
the installation of downloaded
apps, the simplicity and security
of browser-based conferencing
enable participation and
collaboration. Quality is better
than ever too, and providing
options, be it an app, phone or
browser is highly inclusive and,
consequently, more productive.”
Ian Rowan at Wildix says it’s
growing daily.
“With technology like
WebRTC, every device can be
a video conferencing unit, your
Joel Price of ScanSource
laptop, your desktop, even your
mobile device, all you need is
a web browser and a webcam.
There are many conferencing
solutions that end users can
purchase directly that are based
on WebRTC and this will have a
negative impact on the available
revenue to channel partners who
don’t have a WebRTC product in
their portfolio.”
Looking ahead, Rowan
believes that as the use of video
grows then the tools available to
use within these virtual meeting
spaces will need to evolve too.
“I don’t mean devices like
a 360-degree camera or smart
boarding solutions although
these are very good, I think the
future of the Video Conference
comes from fully immersed
conferencing with augmented
reality and virtual reality
headsets. Participants will get
a full experience of a face to
face meeting and this will take
away some of the bad perception
or poor expectations of many
current video solutions. It would
also be great to choose the
meeting rooms within the space
where one day we could hold our
meeting within the oval office
and the next day on the beach in
Barbados.”
ED SAYS…
I’m not sure why, but I was surprised by the general mood of positivity over WebRTC.
Never the less, whilst this technology is clearly growing it is up against the marketing
machines and muscle of the larger team apps players. However, as far as I am aware
none of these big firm apps can actually work with each other in any meaningful way
which leaves me to think that there’s a shakedown and a consolidation likely to occur
sometime in the near future.
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calls are still relying on the quality
of the endpoint and broadband
speed to ensure an uninterrupted
meeting takes place.”
Looking back, Tim Mercer
at Vapour Cloud says that whilst
there is undoubtedly still some
resistance to use video, much
of this stems from how clunky
or frustrating it used to be, to
integrate into the comms stack.
“Usability depended on the
download of apps, browsersof
choice, the devices being
used, and so on. Now with
WebRTC, all you need is a link
and a connection. Once people
get over any initial uncertainty
about using video conferencing,
it becomes second nature and by
far increases the ‘human’ nature
of digital communications, which
can otherwise feel a little soulless
at times.”
Ian Brindle at Nimans only
sees sales opportunities here.
“What we are finding is where
people would have invested in a
high-end audio only solution into
a meeting room environment,
they can now add video for
almost the same price as part
of a huddle room collaboration
solution. It makes common sense
for them to do so.”
However, Brindle adds, “At
the lower end of the market
audio-only is holding its own but
in the majority of huddle space
sites video is being introduced
more and more, working in
tandem with audio.”
Has WebRTC overtaken this
market like many predicted?
Rather than over-taking the
market, it is adding additional
functionality and expanding, Joel
Price, at ScanSource, says being
able to add Bob from Basingstoke
into a call at a moment’s notice –
‘that’s powerful’.
“WebRTC is still a little
patchy, with restrictions in
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20 | Comms Business Magazine | March 2019 www.commsbusiness.co.uk
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