VoIP and WebRTC: Real-time Communication Then and Now
VoIP and WebRTC: Real-time Communication Then and Now Real-time communication is now an everyday tool. It grew in two waves: VoIP, which moved calls into the internet era, and WebRTC, a browser-first approach that lets people talk without extra apps. This article looks at how we arrived here and what it means today for users and builders. VoIP began as enterprise software. Companies used signaling schemes like SIP or H.323 to start calls and mix voice with data. Media traveled over RTP and often needed gateways to pass through firewalls. Early setups required technical know-how and dedicated servers for reliability and scale. ...