Weemo has been part of the growing movement in Web-based real time communications (WebRTC) for some time now, and most recently, it's set up a new offering geared toward getting more WebRTC functionality into more mobile apps in the form of a new mobile software developer kit (SDK). Said SDK, meanwhile, will help to bring WebRTC to Android, iOS and even PhoneGap applications and provide that all-important edge of rapid contact to systems.
Previously, Weemo was a bit more selective in who got access to the technology, sticking to certain partners, but with the release of this SDK Weemo is opening up the proverbial floodgates and giving all and sundry access to the new tech. Weemo has been operating since 2007, where it got a nice start in the field of video conferencing, and quickly expanded into WebRTC as well, controlling fully eight data centers across some of the world's most major cities.
The SDK itself, meanwhile, provides access to Weemo's virtualized video conferencing bridge, which allows its users to bring in multi-party chat capabilities. This is actually a step beyond what WebRTC specs specifically allow for, and Weemo charges a per-user fee to get in on the SDK, as opposed to charging for usage of the service itself. Some have described Weemo's services as being similar to Tokbox as well as to Telefonica's OpenTok service, particularly in that Tokbox also brings in services beyond the original specs of the WebRTC service.
Weemo is currently exhibiting at the WebRTC III Conference and Expo event going on in Santa Clara, California, set to run November 19-21 at the Santa Clara Convention Center. The event brings together a host of companies throughout the WebRTC space, and shows off a host of products and services being introduced, or set to be introduced, to the wider field. While some believe that the overall effectiveness of WebRTC can really only go so far since neither Microsoft Internet Explorer nor Apple's Safari browser offer support for this technology, the growth of the mobile device industry—largely populated by devices running Google's Android technology—suggests that it may well have a future outside of the desktop just as much as, or even potentially more so than, on the desktop. But even Weemo's CEO, Thomas Cottereau, reportedly believes that the lack of IE and Safari support is a major concern in terms of wider use of WebRTC, as well as the lack of a total mobile solution.
Admittedly, WebRTC is somewhat fractured right now. With Apple staying out of the picture and Microsoft somewhat conflicted by its support of Skype and the CU-RTC-WEB protocol, it's putting something of a limit on the adoption rate of WebRTC. But there are still plenty of platforms for WebRTC to make a splash, and plenty of users who will likely be able to spread good word of mouth about the technology. WebRTC has plenty of room to grow, and Weemo is near the tip of the spear on this one.
Edited by Cassandra Tucker
