WebRTC

WebRTC ( Web Real-Time Communication ) is an API definition being drafted by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to enable browser -to-browser applications for voice calling , video chat , and P2P file sharing without plugins .

History

A project known as WebRTC, for browser-based real-time communication, was open sourced by Google in May 2011. ^{[ 1 ]} This has been followed by ongoing work to standardise the relevant protocols in the IETF ^{[ 2 ]} and browser APIs in the W3C. ^{[ 3 ]}

The W3C draft of WebRTC ^{[ 4 ]} is a work in progress with advanced implementations in the Chrome and Firefox browsers. The API is based on preliminary work done in the WHATWG . ^{[ 5 ]} It was referred as the ConnectionPeer API, and a pre-standards concept implementation was created at Ericsson Labs . ^{[ 6 ]} The Web Real-Time Communications Working Group expects this specification to evolve significantly based on:

• The outcomes of ongoing exchanges in the companion RTCWEB group at IETF ^{[ 7 ]} to define the set of protocols that, together with this document, will enable real-time communications in Web browsers.


• Privacy issues that arise when exposing local capabilities and local streams.


• Technical discussions within the group, on implementing data channels in particular. ^{[ 8 ]}


• Experience gained through early experimentation.


• Feedback received from other groups and individuals.