WebRTC-to-Legacy Gateway Announced by GenbandWebRTC-to-Legacy Gateway Announced by Genband

An early entry in the WebRTC sweepstakes.

Are VoIP networks the new legacy networks? WebRTC has the potential to eventually obsolete the traditional VoIP products and services. WebRTC may further accelerate the demise of the PSTN. But during the interim period, there will be a need for gateway technology to translate legacy VoIP to WebRTC and vice versa.

Most of the standard for WebRTC remains in draft form. So gateways need to be flexible in design. It is also possible that different browser providers may choose to implement WebRTC differently while still technically complying with the standard--much like SIP. This means that a WebRTC gateway might have to mediate between different versions of WebRTC as well.

But WebRTC is attracting attention because, combined with HTML 5, it can simplify voice and video communications by eliminating the need for software clients, instead relying entirely on the Web browser. WebRTC and HTML 5 can be independent of the OS, and can have a significant impact on both the enterprise and service providers.

Genband has now announced a product in this space--SPiDR. This WebRTC gateway is aimed at the service provider market, and bridges the gap between Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) networks and the Internet. SPiDR allows network operators and enterprises to deliver new applications over the Internet. It can also produce new revenue for providers from their existing wireless and fixed communication assets.

SPiDR sits at the edge of the operator's network. It provides open, web-centric APIs that allow application developers to produce rich communications services through the network including voice, video, presence, shared address book, call history, instant messaging, and collaboration. There will probably be multiple voice and video codecs available. The signaling protocols used within WebRTC could be SIP, Jingle, or even a proprietary signaling protocol. SPiDR interworks both the signaling and media planes between the web and telecom worlds.

Though SPiDR is aimed at service providers, I can think of two immediate applications for the enterprise when it comes to WebRTC gateways:

* We have text chat when we access sites to buy products or subscribe to services. WebRTC will add voice and maybe video as options. The WebRTC gateway can facilitate voice conversations for contact centers. This opens up the possibility of enhancing customer loyalty.

* Calling 911 emergency centers via WebRTC expands the number of methods available for contact. WebRTC combined with location information can improve E911 responsiveness.

SPiDR is one of the announcements delivered at the first-ever Genband Perspectives conference. The event featured over 700 attendees representing more than 200 customers coming from 40 countries, in addition to channel partners.