The W3C today launch a special Working Group to test and define a set of standards for real-time communications in web browsers. The mission of the Web Real-Time Communications Working Group is to define client-side APIs to enable Real-Time Communications in Web browsers, W3C said.

These APIs should enable building applications that can be run inside a browser, requiring no extra downloads or plugins, that allow communication between parties using audio, video and supplementary real-time communication, without having to use intervening servers (unless needed for firewall traversal, or for providing intermediary services).

Enabling real-time communications between Web browsers require the some client-side technologies to be available, such as API functions to explore device capabilities, e.g. camera, microphone, speakers, API functions to capture media from local devices, for encoding and other processing of those media streams, API functions for establishing direct peer-to-peer connections, including firewall/NAT traversal, for decoding and processing (including echo cancelling, stream synchronization and a number of other functions) of those streams at the incoming end as well as delivery to the user of those media streams via local screens and audio output devices (partially covered with HTML5).

The W3C will define APIs to ensure that application developers can control the components or the architecture for selection and profiling of the wire protocols that will be produced by the IETF Real-Time Communication in WEB-browsers (RTCWeb) Working Group.