Ericsson has made its Bowser web browser and its OpenWebRTC framework free and open source in a bid to stimulate innovation among WebRTC developers.
WebRTC allows developers to produce real-time voice, video and data applications. Its APIs and protocols are standardised according to the Worldwide Web Consortium (W3C) and the Internet Engineering Task Force.
Ericsson said it built OpenWebRTC in a bid to move the WebRTC standard beyond browsers and into native apps that would be built using the same protocols and APIs. It added this would be particularly pertinent for mobile platforms which favour native apps compared to web apps.
Stefan Ålund, Research Manager at Ericsson Research, said: “Ever since releasing Bowser to the public in 2012 we have been asked to share our implementation. Today, we are not only releasing Bowser but also the underlying cross-platform WebRTC framework that we have developed and used internally at Ericsson Research over the last few years.”
He added: “The WebRTC standard is still evolving and developers are finding new ways of using the technology every day. Our engineers have built OpenWebRTC in a way that makes it super-simple to modify and extend, leaving room for even more experimentation with API’s and new features.”
Bowser has been submitted to the Apple App Store and will be available as a free download once it is approved. Ericsson said future version of the browser will include changes made by its developer community.
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