Slashdot Mirror
Microsoft Is Bringing WebRTC To Explorer, Eyes Plugin-Free Skype Calls
An anonymous reader writes Microsoft today announced it is backing the Web Real-Time Communication (WebRTC) technology and will be supporting the ORTC API in Internet Explorer. Put another way, the company is finally throwing its weight behind the broader industry trend of bringing voice and video calling to the browser without the need for plugins. Both Google and Mozilla are way ahead of Microsoft in this area, both in terms of adding WebRTC features to their respective browsers and in terms of building plugin-free calling services that rely on the technology. In short, Skype is under threat, and Microsoft has finally decided to opt for an "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em" strategy.
Except that Google Voice only works for Americans. If you don't live in the US, it's extremely difficult to get a GV number, or to use GV.
Skype works on any Windows/MacOS computer, virtually any iOS, Android, or MS phone device, some consoles, and probably other devices. Even if you can't phone a landline using it, you can still connect with people using it.
A better comparison would be Google Hangouts which can be used to:
- send/receive SMS messages on cell phones
- send/receive instant messages on cell phones, tablets, chromebooks, laptops, PCs, etc
- make voice or video calls between Hangouts users
- make voice calls to landlines within North America for free (and other countries for pennies)
Google Hangouts is quickly overtaking Microsoft Skype in features, although it's still building it's userbase.