Integrating WebRTC-based applications makes it possible for people to interact with high-quality audio and video in real time at a very low cost and simply through web browsers or mobile applications.
By Juan Pablo Morales Sarmiento*
One of the technologies that has not ceased to amaze me since about 2013, when I learned of its existence, is WebRTC. At that time I presented that it was going to bring great changes in the applications that use video streaming to communicate through the web and now, almost 10 years after the launch of the project, I see that I was not wrong.
Simply put, this is a browser-native technology that allows for a real-time connection between two or more users. Something very revolutionary at the time (and also now), for the development of use cases in many industries and applications.
Nothing more accurate as a ring to the finger for the time we are living. Our dependence on digital communications is adding an exponential force, and the use of real-time communication, with latencies close to zero and with tools, becomes more necessary day by day in an infinite ocean of content where it is important to stand out with unique and different user experiences.
Not to go any further, many of the applications that we currently use on a regular basis, such as Uber, SreamYard, Wix, Vimeo, use this technology to facilitate communication between users and the turn is also coming for TV and for content creators or businesses that need to have real-time interactivity with their communities.
Surely some of the readers will remember Telectrónico, the television program of the 80s in Colombia where viewers could interact in real time with a game called Asteroids and shoot the cry of "PAW" by phone. In an almost miraculous way on TV you could see how asteroids were shot down with an out-of-this-world synchronization. I do not want to imagine the master of emission of that time, with engineers tied to the phone and a remote control of one of the first consoles to go on the market at that time, trying to "shoot" simultaneously (or before), than the viewer on the other end of the phone. The call was made by press and magazines, the selection of the players, by mail, the art direction was simple since only a video game of a few bits was shown and the producer was surely waiting for each player to be eliminated to call the next one on the list.
WebRTC, then, is like going back to the past, but better. With this technology, the engineers of the master of the 80s had to change the remote control for APIs, Javascript and HTML5, the producer must now be looking for sponsors, redesigning the experience each program, formulating trivia, imagining calls to action, redesigning arts and sockets and evaluating digital marketing to attract more users.
I have had the opportunity to be in the production of some content that has used very low latency technology to ensure direct and secure interactivity with users. The results, in terms of engagement, return on investment and attraction of the public make me think that this is one of the paths where the content will be oriented, where the interaction with the community really intervenes in the development of the content itself in real time supported by digital tools.
This means that it is almost necessary for television channels and creators, producers and designers of formats and products, to acquire skills, competencies or knowledge in this type of tools.
Integrating WebRTC-based applications makes it possible for people to interact with high-quality audio and video in real time at a very low cost and simply through web browsers or mobile applications. Connecting a sales team with its customers, a user with their favorite program, a doctor with their remote patient, a teacher with a group of students or a factory with a virtual engineer is no longer something of science fiction.
In the case of entertainment, the challenge is not only to focus on technology, but on the development of interactive formats with the integration of systems that allow a complete immersion of the user.
The concept of the second screen surely takes the lead again in the race for the attention of users, with an increasingly relevant advantage than simple experience. Today, unlike a few years ago, the possibility of obtaining user data and its use to enhance social media algorithms, fine-tuning retention and conversion rates, is becoming easier and more invaluable.
The ease of designing, implementing and using new experiences on second screen, such as surveys, trivia, contests and voting, linking them to networks and contact forms, discount coupons, invitations and thousands of call to action options, makes it impossible to think that this is not the future of television, when we talk mainly about sports and live news. Establishing, alternately, a conversation in digital media, and one by one with users, is the best way to keep them connected with our content, our characters, our channels and our advertisers.
Last but not least, it is noteworthy that this type of technology is making its way into corporate communications in times of social distancing in an accelerated way. Thus, how to include techniques of making live television in webinar meetings, what I have called the "Zoomteractive" era, completely transforms videoconferencing into interactive, entertaining, different and inclusive spaces, something that today's organizations are looking for to differentiate themselves from others, to gain ground with their employees, customers, and to strengthen their communities in times of intense competition for the attention of the public.
Some of the recommendations in this regard for companies that I would like to leave are: 1). Research and use tools such as Kahoot, Slido, Vevox, Crowdpurr or Mentimeter, among others, will surely transform your meetings or corporate events, whatever their scope. 2). Start integrating solutions with WebRTC-based engineering to connect with your communities, customers, patients and others, either through professionals with experience in integrations and developments in these areas, or also with companies specialized in turnkey solutions that target your communication needs. The media revolution presents us with new challenges every day and this is an announced battle that is important to win.
Technology enables real-time connection, but it's imagination that really opens the door to interactive innovations.
*Juan Pablo Morales Sarmiento is CEO and Co-founder of Nuevos Medios Entertainment. You can contact him through his Twitter account @JuanPMoralesS
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