Does WebRTC need a change in governance?
Is it time to change the governance of WebRTC in order to keep it growing and flourishing?
Read MorePlace your bets: We're starting our spring sale, and we have a few WebRTC API Platforms for you to choose from.
AddLive, taken out of the market
There have been 5 distinct WebRTC acquisitions so far. Two of them were of WebRTC API Platforms:
As Chris notes in his post, there were rumors of other suiters for AddLive:
For months, rumor has circulated that Addlive was about to be acquired. My understanding a bidding war ensued with the likes of Cisco, Citrix, Logmein and others.
AddLive's acquisition is still fresh. A month old. What happened since is REALLY interesting.
What is going on here? Philanthropy in our midst?
By my count, there are over 20 different WebRTC API Platforms out there. Some consider themselves platforms while I don't. Others are still in early development phases. The API space for WebRTC is becoming a tad crowded.
This makes the selection process pretty hard for potential customers, and it also makes the competition between platforms a fierce one. The larger customers, as it seems, aren't looking to be a customer but rather the lord of the house - they want to acquire the whole shebang and get it off the market to use it internally. That's what Snapchat has done.
On the other side, the platform vendors want to be acquired, and to get a premium price for their efforts. Best way to get there? On board customers and get to millions of video calls a month. Best way to do that? Assert one's technological advantage. Offer a low cost service - or a free one. Which is exactly how Temasys and OpenClove have opted doing.
They aren't alone out there - my report covers 13 vendors (now 12, since AddLive got acquired; with 4 new candidates for an upcoming update). Which one will be the next to get acquired?
I have no clue.
Is it time to change the governance of WebRTC in order to keep it growing and flourishing?
Read MoreRTC@Scale is Facebook’s virtual WebRTC event, covering current and future topics. Here’s the summary for RTC@Scale 2024 so you can pick and choose the relevant ones for you.
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