These types of tools could make it possible to have a single app or portal through which a customer can request service or support for any product.
The WhatsApp folks do not seem to think that they have been very successful with their fee model, despite the app’s use among nearly one billion people. In a blog post announcing the decision, WhatsApp wrote, “For many years, we’ve asked some people to pay a fee for using WhatsApp after their first year. As we’ve grown, we’ve found that this approach hasn’t worked well.”
Technically, WhatsApp does use some components and techniques from WebRTC. It is peer to peer, and uses the Silk/Opus codec. Microsoft Skype for Business users may recognize Silk, which is an audio codec developed at Skype. Opus branched from Silk several years ago.
What most WebRTC buyers fail to realize is that WebRTC does not define a standard signaling set. What this means is that WebRTC solutions may use common function calls, encryption, firewall traversal techniques, architecture and codecs, but none use the same signaling set. In other words, once you integrate an app with your legacy systems and build an IP and security infrastructure around a given WebRTC solution, you are locked into that vendor. Choose wisely! Many competitors typically populate any technology sector. In most cases, we are familiar with the most successful. Typically, these are the solutions that reach a billion users first. Facebook, eBay, and Google are all good examples of this phenomenon.
Literally, WhatsApp is competing with Skype to be the largest communications service provider in the world and both are now focused on contact center and customer engagement solutions. Would it be nice to have a single app/portal where a customer can request service or support for any product? With these types of tools this is possible. The next couple years will revolutionize customer engagement.