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Today, we’re excited to announce that Twilio Video is available to all Twilio customers as a public beta. You can now access our iOS and Javascript SDKs from the Twilio account portal, and embed live peer-to-peer video into your mobile and web applications. (Request access to Android SDK here).
We are stoked about the potential of in-app video calling – because it enables use cases that surpass a traditional face-to-face video call. But here’s the curious thing, traditional video calls have only really gained serious traction within the consumer space.
With our consumer hat on, we use video chat much differently than we would in a professional setting, or when asking for customer service. With cousins that are 10,000 miles away from me at any given time, video calling is essentially the foundation of my entire relationship with them. It works for that relationship. But in a work environment relationships are different. I don’t want you to see me for the sake of it. I like that you are unaware that I wear a onesie when working from home.
The real promise of video in a work setting is to be able to show something that you cannot describe with words alone. It’s to be able to show the work problem you need help with, the product that you’re selling, or the project you’re discussing. It’s all about the context of the communication. The WebRTC standard makes that possible. We can now embed video and voice communications within mobile and web applications which already have the information we need to discuss.
The most popular use cases (so far) for contextual video
When we first shared Video as a developer preview earlier this year, we knew that our developer community would come up with video experiences we could never imagine. Of the many thousands who used Video during the developer preview period, health care and in-app visual support ranked the highest.
In healthcare, regulatory requirement in many states require a ‘face to face’ meeting before a doctor can write their patient a prescription. Now video calling allows this meeting to happen virtually. Twilio partners like IBM have solutions where the media stream between the doctor and patient is being analyzed in real-time by IBM Watson. This analysis provides live sentiment analysis of the patient’s reaction and real-time transcription of complex medical diagnoses for the patient to refer to after the call.
In the support space, many of you are envisioning your existing mobile apps as your new 1-800 support line. With video as part of mobile apps, end-users can reach support agents and more importantly, show the particular problem rather than explaining the details. Zendesk, for example, used the Twilio Video SDKs to validate the potential of video as a support channel within a matter of a few days.
In every case, the video feed is providing information and enabling interaction that just wouldn’t be possible otherwise.
The new communications toolkit
We’re excited about the future of in-app communications. IP Messaging made available last week, and Video (and HD audio) made available today are just the start. We’re already working on the next features to come, from building more server side capabilities to supporting next versions of the WebRTC and new ORTC standards.
We can’t wait to see what you build, and are always here if you need help.
To learn more about Twilio Video, you can:
- Visit the product and pricing page
- Read the docs
- Sign in to your account/sign up and start building in minutes
- Read our prior blog posts about Twilio Video developer preview and pricing