What is a WebRTC PaaS?

A WebRTC Platform-as-a-Service, or PaaS, is a full stack, cloud-based platform that provides developers with everything that’s needed to integrate real-time video and audio features into web pages and mobile apps.

Using a WebRTC PaaS simplifies the development process for video, audio, screen sharing, and related features. Just as a software engineer might leverage a platform like Stripe to process credit card payments, an engineer can use a WebRTC PaaS to implement video calls.

Let’s break this down a little more:

• WebRTC is the standard that most apps today build on top of for real-time video and audio.
• WebRTC is built into web browsers and can be used in mobile apps, too.
• By itself, though WebRTC, is just a set of client-side APIs and is missing important building blocks required for scalable, production-ready deployments. Some of the things needed in addition to a client-side WebRTC SDK are signaling to set up and manage state during a video session, cloud video servers deployed in multiple geographic regions, logging and analytics.
• In addition, a good WebRTC PaaS will provide additional turnkey features that go beyond core real-time video and audio services, such as recording, output to RTMP and HLS live streaming endpoints, transcription, and SIP telephone bridging.
• A good WebRTC PaaS will simplify adhering to security, compliance, and regulatory best practices such as SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR, and CCPA.

A WebRTC PaaS handles the most complex and infrastructure-heavy parts of implementing video, audio, and real-time messaging features, freeing developers to focus on the core requirements and unique capabilities of their own applications.

Want to learn more about WebRTC? Visit our community, developer resources, or our blog.