NTT Communications has added Traversal Using Relays around NAT (TURN) functionality to SkyWay, its open platform that enables application/service developers to use Web-based (browser) real-time communications (WebRTC).
WebRTC enables peer-to-peer (P2P) real-time communication for voice calls, video chatting and file sharing via PCs, smartphones, tablets and native applications without going through server-side systems. Direct P2P connectivity ensures higher quality voice and video streams, lower latency and fewer dropped packets, thus increasing the overall user experience. WebRTC is being standardized under HTML5 by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).
NTT Com said TURN enables WebRTC to be used without P2P communication by transmitting data through servers. It allows more flexible communication systems capable of using WebRTC to be constructed in corporate network environments where P2P communication is rendered unavailable due to certain network configurations, such as the network address translation (NAT) method with strict security policies.
TURN requires high network bandwidth and robust servers to transmit large-volume data, and appropriate security measures are needed as well. NTT Com expects to release an official version of SkyWay with TURN after conducting the current trial.
Corporate users or/and service providers can now use SkyWay incorporating the TURN protocol as a cloud computing service without having to prepare additional server resources or install applications in an WebRTC server for P2P communication. Users first need to apply on the SkyWay website. Availability will be on a first-come first-served basis. The trial is available on NTT Com’s GitHub page.
