Jan MeijerUNINETT eCampus & TTC member

TNC 2013

webrtc

why you should care

background: eCampus programme

● national programme● enable more effective teaching and research in

higher education● use IT to effect attitude and workflow change● deployment deployment deployment● for the 99%● systemise, rationalise, scale up

the synchronous comms soup

● SIP, UC, MS Lync, Cisco Jabber● H323, $$$ video conferencing rooms● Skype, Google Hangout, Facebook,

whatshallwecallit● web conferencing, AdobeConnect, WebEx etc.

5 video feeds is enough for....

functionality

● audio● video● screen sharing● application & desktop sharing● document sharing● chat● recording

web-rtc

● browser based real time audio, video and collaboration without plugins

● open standards based● IETF RTCweb: on-the-wire protocols● W3C Web Real-Time Communications Working

Group: Javascript API spec

+------------------------+ On-the-wire | | Protocols | Servers |---------> | | | | +------------------------+ ^ | | | HTTP/ | Websockets | | +----------------------------+ | Javascript/HTML/CSS | +----------------------------+ Other ^ ^RTC APIs | |APIs +---|-----------------|------+ | | | | | +---------+| | | Browser || On-the-wire | Browser | RTC || Protocols | | Function|-----------> | | || | | || | +---------+| +---------------------|------+ | V Native OS Services

ietf deployment models

● browser-browser media path, with signalling in backend

● with server multiplexing signals

functionality

● real time audio● Opus (RFC 6716) mandatory-to-implement audio codec● OPUS: high fidelity codec for both voice and music,

bandwidth scalable● «WebRTC clients SHOULD include an AEC» + gain

control

● real time video, ongoing » discussion» on mandatory-to-implement video codec, H264(5?) vs. WebM/VP8

● screen sharing, document sharing etc.

http://apprtc.appspot.com

www.webrtc.org/demo (chrome)

implementation status

● IETF: ...

● W3C: last call working drafts Q2/Q3 2013, recomm. 2014

● Mozilla and Google on board● supported in Google Chrome and FF Beta

● MS involved but waiting for standard to settle

● Apple tracking closely but keeping cards close to chest

● FreeSwitch: support in prod. from summer

● BigBlueButton open source web conf prototype (UNINETT, NorduNet funded)

● Buzz at telecom conference

● based on functionality it looks & smells like web conf but will be so much more!

● chunks in the soup or new soup? ● «As the available bandwidth has increased, and

as processors and other hardware has become ever faster, the barriers to participation have decreased, and it has become possible to deliver a satisfactory experience on commonly available computing hardware.»

that's what web-rtc is

now to what it might mean

(my crystal ball)

disruptive innovation theory

disruptive innovation theory (Clayton Christensen)

disrupting web conferencing

● prediction: current web conferencing products will not be able to adapt but they will try● business models dictate evolutionary innovation

● too much investment in current product tech stack

● their tech stacks suck underperform exactly where web-rtc rules offers better functionality

● won't be able to offer sufficient user experience for acceptable price

● AdobeConnect, WebEx, BlackBoard Collaborate will be irrelevant in a couple of years

● Clean slate species (startups) will take over. Old ones die or become zombies

● Current products not integration oriented

disrupting standard vidconf

● much cheaper MCU/multiplexing functionality with equal quality (see MCU port prices vs. web conf seat prices)

● standard room based systems sell you all-in-one package: microphone subsystem, camera, TV, speakers + call set up & media transport. Take out the latter!

● addressing with vidconfroom.uninett.no

disrupting UC?

● billion end points with good quality audio/video?● lower barrier of entry in UC market

● client side audio and video quality no longer product differentiators

● better inter-op between vendors: end to lock-in?● reduces UC to directory + software-based MCU +

integrations with other enterprise infra

what does this mean for us?

● «17 GEANT partners currently offer a managed webmeeting desktop service (up from 14 in 2011). The most commonly used platform is AdobeConnect»

● «29 of the GEANT partner NRENs provide or plan to offer a centrally managed video-conferencing service, which clearly indicates the strategic importance of videoconferencing»

● «1/3 of GEANT partner NRENs currently offe a centrally administered VoIP service»

source: 2012 TERENA compendium

Opportunities!

● webrtc ought to make real time comms a lot cheaper

● and a lot easier to scale to 99% of the users

● UC1 integrating with all functionality with UC2?

● easy video calling finally achievable?

● easy group conferencing for the masses

● support research communities: web-rtc integrates nicely with web based tooling used by research groups, solving the «lonely researcher» problem?

● new products & services will come with new possibilities!

what to do?

communication

goal

tool

eyes on the prize!!

Jørgen Yri

● linguist, teaches Spanish

● collaborates across borders● with various institutions in .no

● with various folks outside

● he wants● easy to give access, regardless of formal home

● «a certain stability»

● easy screen and document sharing

● no heavy installs for students

● works on different platforms «without too much tinkering»

● not a lot of budget

● wants stuff that works, but need not be perfect

● doesn't care about tools

the market provides?

● target group?● conditions?● cost?● time-to-deliver?● public procurement?

Stuff to do?

● track closely: learn the tech, imagine the business.

● You have probably 2 years to still look on top of things

● Remember disruptive theory also applies to YOU

● prepare your users

● be ready when web-rtc hits: start then and you'll miss the party (costing your society)

● revisit your (class) room specs, decouple AV install from transport

● Geant Campus Best Practices, Physical Infrastructure

● plan for new procurement requirements and know when to introduce them

● try! Run trials! vidconfroom.uninett.no!

● UNINETT is considering organising a follow-up on BigBlueButton web-rtc sponsoring