Google is beginning to build its open-source audio and video chat project WebRTC into its Chrome browser.
The real-time chat software originated from Google's acquisition in 2010 of Global IP Solutions (GIPS), a company specialising in internet telephony and videoconferencing.
The obvious beneficiary for the project is Gmail, the audio and video communications features of which currently require use of a proprietary plug-in. Gmail chat is getting more important as Google's VoIP (voice over Internet Protocol) efforts mature and integrate with the Google Voice service.
But Google has high hopes that WebRTC will be used well beyond Gmail. Rather, it hopes WebRTC will become an incarnation of a nascent web standard for videoconferencing and peer-to-peer communications and for the necessary underlying network communication protocols.
For more on this ZDNet UK-selected story, see Google building Skype-alike software into Chrome on CNET News.
Get the latest technology news and analysis, blogs and reviews delivered directly to your inbox with ZDNet UK's newsletters.
Talkback
This post has been removed by a moderator.
This post has been removed by a moderator.
This post has been removed by a moderator.
This post has been removed by a moderator.