WebRTC or No-WebRTC Softphones: Which is Better

Companies across the world are completely overhauling their communication system, as they gravitate towards using softphones.

Softphones are a software program based on Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and are used for making and receiving phone calls. Instead of using the actual fixed or IP phone, you can just install it on your desktop, tablet, or mobile. Softphones come with several advantages for users, including lower calling costs, no hardware installation requirement, and no additional investment.

With time, and as technology evolved, the world of softphones got split into two: WebRTC-powered softphones and regular VoIP, softphones that ran without WebRTC.

Commercialized over 25 years ago, VoIP communication technology consists of using an internet connection to transmit voices, to call one or more correspondents. VoIP usually requires dedicated equipment or software, and sometimes both.

This dependence on equipment and software led to the creation of a new, pathbreaking technology — WebRTC. The underlying principle of WebRTC was simple: to use computers and phone line equipment that is already available. This included a microphone and browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer. Using this, WebRTC made it possible to transmit voice and video over an IP network without any additional software or dedicated equipment.

Like WebRTC, a parallel calling technology that has also gained traction in the softphone market is Linphone, which was developed by Linux. Linphone is an on-premise and web-based VoIP system, which helps businesses connect with their clients or team members using audio calls and text messages. Its features include audio conferencing, group calling, contact list management, user authentication, and file sharing.

In this age of abundance of technology, which one should your enterprise pick to enjoy seamless communication and collaboration? In this blog, we will look at how WebRTC-powered softphones compare with those that don’t tap into this technology, and how WebRTC is enabling softphones to go beyond the limitations of old-school VoIP.

What is WebRTC?

Web Real-Time Communications (WebRTC) is an open-source solution that was built by Google in 2011. It allows peer-to-peer communication in web browsers and mobile applications through the use of application programming interfaces (APIs). This includes audio, video, and data transfers.

To define broadly, WebRTC reduces barriers in communication. This disruptive technology leverages plugin-free APIs and can be used in both desktop and mobile browsers. Today, WebRTC is supported by almost all major browser vendors. Before the birth of WebRTC, external plugins were needed to achieve the same functions.

In the last decade, WebRTC has seen steady growth in popularity and adoption. By 2016 there were an estimated 2 billion browsers enabled to work with WebRTC. It has also logged over a billion minutes and 500 terabytes of data transmission per week from browser communications.

WebRTC’s main function is to allow access to devices. Users can access the microphone or camera on their phone or laptop, or even the entire screen. They can capture displays and even have that screen shared or recorded remotely.

WebRTC isn’t limited to voice and video. It allows sending and receiving any type of data. It’s also becoming a go-to choice for real-time communications as it is an open-source project, is free for commercial or private use, is available in all modern browsers, and since the source code is portable it can be used in mobile apps as well. WebRTC has created a vibrant ecosystem of different vendors and companies, which, in turn, has enabled the creation of new use cases and business models. Also, read more about WebRTC benefits.

What is a Linphone?

Linphone is an on-premise and web-based VoIP system, which helps businesses streamline communication with clients using audio calls and text messages. The solution enables members to chat with multiple participants in a group, receive group updates, and track message delivery status to members. It also allows agents to handle multiple calls simultaneously through pause, resume, transfer and merge call features. Operators using Linphone can receive notifications of incoming calls or messages and answer, decline or mark calls read as per suitability.

Linphone helps users send group invites to members, access chat during calls, and track call history. It comes with mobile applications for iOS and Android. Linphone has gained traction among softphone users as it is simple to use and free of cost.

WebRTC Vs Linphone: A Quick Comparison

While WebRTC supports both audio and video calls, Linphone, which comes with different types of versions depending on the Linux version, is an audio-only engine. Let’s look at the difference in features that these two technologies offer:

• All standard browsers support WebRTC. Linphone, on the other hand, is not supported by the Safari browser. This makes WebRTC a more holistic tech solution for softphones.
• Linphone does not support push notifications as seamlessly as WebRTC-powered softphones. Using push notifications softphone apps don’t need to run in the foreground, or even background, at all times. Whenever a push notification is received, the app displays an alert, providing an option to accept or reject the call.
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