WebRTC to VoIP is Like Big Data to Database Tech

WebRTC and VoIP? Big Data and Data? They are one and the same. Almost.

Last week I had the great opportunity to be at the WebRTC Conference & Expo. A lot of people there asked me what is it that I do at work. The answer? It isn’t WebRTC. It is Big Data. And then a few other things as well.

Big Data is big compared to WebRTC. In Atlanta, we had over 600 people. At Strata conference about Big Data 3 months ago? Over 2000. No match.

But there are some similarities. Specifically? Both bring nothing new to the table. Just a different way of thinking about the challenges, coupled with minor adjustments that flip the market.

Here are some truths about Big Data:

• Big Data does LESS than your usual database. It even doesn’t have any decent SQL on top of it
• Big Data is used by web companies more than any other vertical out there. It is where it started
• Big Data relies on commodity hardware to build state of the art database
• Big Data removes the barriers of delving into advanced analytics by any company
• Big Data is based on open source technologies, with an ecosystem of vendors adding their proprietary stuff to it
• Big Data changes the way companies are looking at data
• Big Data created a whole new job classification: the “Data Scientist”

Here are some truths about WebRTC:

• WebRTC does LESS than your usual VoIP technology. It event doesn’t have signaling or the common codecs that are out there
• UC vendors are ignoring WebRTC. WebRTC is used by web companies today to build their use cases
• WebRTC relies on commodity software (=browser) to build state of the art communication
• WebRTC removes the barriers of delving into real time communication by any company
• WebRTC is based on open source technologies, with an ecosystem of vendors adding building blocks around it
• WebRTC changes the way companies are looking at VoIP
• Will WebRTC create a new job classification? The “RTC Web Developer”

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Hmm… To me it seems that WebRTC to VoIP is like Big Data to Database technology.

And we can at least agree that Big Data is Big Business these days. If you ask me, WebRTC will take the same route. Who’s going to join the ride?