Video chatting has become an essential tool for staying connected, whether with family, friends, or colleagues, no matter where they are. As video chat apps continue to evolve with better features, their popularity keeps growing.
The COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted daily life and economies worldwide, introduced new norms such as social distancing, remote work, and virtual events. In this shift, businesses quickly adopted video conferencing technologies to host meetings and events safely. These tools not only help maintain important connections with partners and teams but also offer significant time-saving and productivity benefits.
Integrating a video calling feature into your existing applications is easier than ever. With the help of APIs or SDKs, businesses can enhance their productivity while saving valuable time and development costs.
Curious about adding a video conferencing API to your application? This article will guide you through everything you need to know.
What you will learn from this article:
How has the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of video conferencing technologies in businesses?
What are the key differences between a video chat API and an SDK, and how do they contribute to video communication?
What are the major benefits of web conferencing for businesses?
How does integrating video conferencing into existing applications provide more security and added capabilities for businesses?
What challenges do businesses face in effectively implementing video calling solutions, and how can they be addressed?
What are some of the most popular video chat APIs currently available, and what unique features do they offer for business integration?
What is a video calling API/SDK
A video chat API is a tool that enables real-time audio and video communication. It provides the technical infrastructure required to establish video communication between devices. An API serves as an interface that allows different software systems to communicate and exchange data.
An SDK (Software Development Kit), on the other hand, is a comprehensive set of tools that facilitates application development. It includes libraries, visual editors, debuggers, and APIs, making app creation simpler.
Key Features of Video Calling SDKs and APIs:
Various conferencing formats
Screen sharing
Messaging
Recording
Voice features
What Are the Benefits of Web Conferencing for Businesses?
The ongoing pandemic has definitely forced enterprises to rethink the way they operate. They transformed the way they stay connected and turned to digital platforms like Zoom. Video conferencing is the closest alternative to a face-to-face meeting allowing to quickly exchange messages and address concerns on the spot. Let’s talk about the benefits of web conferencing.
convenience: thanks to video conferencing you no longer need to travel to see colleagues or clients. It can be utilized to quickly connect during time-sensitive or pressing situations. Users can seamlessly talk to individuals in different time zones outside of standard work hours from the comfort of their homes.
money and time savings: travelling can consume big chunks of time and budget. Although some meetings should be held in-person, most of them can be easily held during a video conference.
more personal online meetings: if compared to email or audio calls, video conferences takes it to the next level. You are able to make use of facial expression cues and build a more personal relationship.
recording tools: the majority of video conferencing platforms allow meetings to be recorded. This ensures that important points form the meeting are not missed and can be shared with those who were unavailable at the time of the meeting. What is more, platforms like Verbit can generate live transcripts of video calls, for example, to help produce summaries of meetings.
employee onboarding: video conferencing can be used in the education of new employees. HR departments often use it during onboarding and offboarding. Remote training has proven to be the most effective and engaging when using video tools.
accessibility: thanks to tools like live captions or transcription video conferencing gives all employees equal opportunities to engage and participate. Those tools guarantee that remote employees or those with disabilities like hearing loss can effectively participate in meetings.
digital workforce: video meetings help to maintain human connections and speed up the decision making process through global collaboration.
Who needs video conferencing?
Ready-to-integrate SDKs make it possible to implement video conferencing technology quickly in any business use case. Integrating it into the existing solution gives you:
more security: video calling APIs and SDKs have built-in security standards that can be automatically implemented in the product at the time of integration.
added capabilities: some of SDKs and APIs for video conferencing come with AI/ML capabilities which can, for example, allow generating analytics for video calls.
reduced costs: you do not need to develop an entirely new solution from the ground up.
Now that you know what are the benefits of using video conferencing and implementing it into your existing software, let’s discuss which businesses particularly need such a solution.
Healthcare
More than one and half of the hospitals in the US use telehealth apps. Live video conferencing is one of the types of telemedicine applications. It is used for a two-way interaction between a patient and healthcare specialists. It is often used in treating common illnesses or to determine whether a patient should go to urgent care. Live video-conferencing can be used instead of a visit to the doctor’s office. It saves travel time and waiting time in the long queues at hospitals or clinics. You can read more about that in How To Build A Telemedicine App From Scratch?.
LMS
Many schools and universities opted for online teaching amid the Covid-19 pandemic. It allows them to seamlessly collaborate without physical contact. What is more, LMS can make use of the recording tool to give access to webinars and presentations at any time.
CRM and digital commerce
Thanks to tools like Zoom for Close you can launch and review the video calls since they are automatically attached to the appropriate lead. You can see every interaction that you and your team have had with leads and customers.
Real estate industry
Real estate can leverage video conferencing technology by enabling its customers to visit properties virtually via video chat. This means more customers will be able to see the property in a shorter time. This also allows investments in various states and countries as borders no longer matter.
Ecommerce
More and more people are ordering essentials via contactless delivery to retain social distancing. This meant a decline in the sales of electronic appliances that require installation and demos. By integrating a video conferencing technology to your digital platform you can allow your engineers to help customers through a video call.
Video calling in HR
HR departments can reduce delays in the recruitment process by adding video conferencing technology to the existing process. They are able to connect with candidates as soon as they are shortlisted. This is also very useful at times like this when a global pandemic suspends recruitments.
Challenges of video calling solutions
Video conferencing can be very beneficial for businesses, but only when used correctly. Some of the platforms may seem easy to handle, but training sessions are a must to ensure employees are aware of the features available and how to best use them.
Lighting and sound quality play a significant role in effective communication. Proper setup can take time, so it is important to address the possible issues beforehand. What is more, business leaders should equip their employees with a strong Internet connection.
One of the best practices of video conferencing is setting a clear agenda and communication points before the conference to ensure all viewers stay on track.
In this article, we talk a lot about integrating a video calling feature into an existing application. But what if you decide to build a video conferencing solutions from scratch? There are a couple of points you should be aware of.
longer delivery time: it will take longer to build a solution from scratch and test it properly before releasing
operational complexity: you will need to deploy and manage an entire infrastructure
cross-service security: when building from scratch, you need to ensure that the solution meets all necessary regulations and compliance requirements
However, building your own solution will enable you to customize it to your needs, implement functionalities that fit your requirements and create a one-of-a-kind design.
Top video chat APIs
There are various mobile APIs that help to implement video chatting. Here are the most popular ones:
Twilio
Twilio is a cloud communication platform ideal for building video and voice-based apps. It allows making and receiving phone calls using video conferencing APIs. What is more, Twilio supports the development of open-source apps that allow configuring phone numbers to route phone calls. It is a reliable, well-documented yet simple solution.
Twilio also provides a web service ‘In the Cloud’ that allows integrating real-time phone calls into apps. It is the best way to develop business by leveraging a telephone system in a cost-effective manner.
Quickblox
Quickblox is a ready-to-go module like push notifications and video calling. It allows developers to build their own video chat app. The company also sells various communication tools to app builders. Quickblox is used by many social networking apps and enterprises. It is easy to integrate and provides features like content settings, users, location or ratings.
Amazon Chime SDK
Amazon Chime SDK is a set of real-time communication components that allow developers to quickly add audio and video calling as well as screen-sharing capabilities to an existing mobile or web application. Thanks to Amazon Chime SDK you can eliminate the complexity and costs of building and maintaining your own real-time communication services and infrastructure.
Sinch SDK
Sinch SDK can be implemented to an existing mobile or web application to enable video conferencing. It provides video chat APIs and SDKs that supplement applications with video, voice and real-time communication APIs.
Hire team to Your Custom Software
Tell us
about your project
Let's gather your requirements, analyse and identify your business idea to explore how we can help you. We always ensure your data and IP are safe so feel free to request a mutual NDA before we discuss your project.
Call with Technical Team Lead and Business Analyst
Receive an estimation of the workload and cost of your project. It’s all about exchanging ideas and reaching conclusions - we will discuss our offer with you to make it fit your expected roadmap.
Schedule Interview with the whole Team
If everything goes well, we make sure you get a team best-suited for your project requirements. Then we'll sign the contract and move on to the kick-off phase.
How video SDK interacts with your application
This is a step-by-step process from creating a room to attending a video conference.
Creating a room:
Server Application asks Video SDK to create a meeting room.
SDK validates the provided information and creates a new room.
Video SDK responds with the Room SID (a unique identifier which can be used in API requests).
Client 1 gets an Access Token
Clients have to have an access token for connecting to a meeting room. It ensures that the client application has control of who is authorized to join the meeting room.
Client 1 requests an access token from the application server. Usually through the HTTP request from the client app.
The application server uses Video SDK account credentials to generate a secure access token.
Client 1 obtains an access token.
Client 1 gets connected to the Meeting Room
Client 1 connects to the room with the Video SDK connect interface and validates using the fetched access token
Video SDK verifies the access token. If it is valid a connection between the room and the client is established. The client becomes a participant in the room and can subscribe and/or publish media tracks from other participants.
How To Integrate Video Conferencing into Your App in 2024: A Step-by-Step Guide
Integrating video conferencing capabilities into your application is a great way to enhance user experience and improve productivity. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to do it in 2024:
1. Define Your Requirements
Purpose of Integration: Identify why you want to add video conferencing. Is it for team collaboration, customer service, virtual events, or another specific use case?
Platform Support: Decide whether your app will support video conferencing on mobile, web, or both. Different platforms may require different solutions.
Features: Determine the core features you need, such as screen sharing, recording, messaging, or breakout rooms.
2. Choose the Right Video Conferencing API or SDK
APIs vs SDKs: An API allows your app to communicate with external video conferencing services, while an SDK provides tools to build the video conferencing feature directly into your app.
Popular Solutions: Consider reliable platforms such as:
Twilio: Known for scalability and flexibility.
Agora: Offers real-time engagement APIs with global coverage.
Zoom SDK: If you're leveraging the Zoom ecosystem.
Amazon Chime SDK: A great option for AWS-based solutions.
Evaluate Features and Costs: Compare features, ease of use, scalability, security, and pricing models before choosing the right solution.
3. Set Up the Development Environment
Install SDK/Configure API: Depending on your chosen provider, you will need to install the necessary libraries or SDKs and configure the API keys.
Environment Setup: Ensure your development environment is set up for mobile, web, or desktop apps. You'll likely need access to IDEs like Xcode for iOS, Android Studio for Android, or tools like Visual Studio for web apps.
Authentication Configuration: Set up authentication protocols like OAuth2 to ensure that only authorized users can access your video conferencing features.
4. Create a Room for Video Conferencing
API Request: Use the chosen API/SDK to create a "room" or "meeting" where participants can join. Most platforms provide an endpoint to create and manage these virtual rooms.
Access Tokens: Generate access tokens for participants to join the meeting securely. Tokens are essential for verifying user identity and granting access to the conference room.
5. Implement User Interface (UI) Components
Video Player: Embed the video player in your app's UI to display video feeds. Most SDKs come with pre-built components for this purpose.
Controls and Features: Integrate essential controls like mute/unmute, video on/off, screen sharing, and chat into the UI. Ensure the design is user-friendly and responsive.
Customizations: Customize the UI based on your app’s design language. For example, you can style buttons, overlays, and video layouts to match your branding.
6. Enable Real-Time Communication
WebRTC Integration: For real-time communication, most video conferencing solutions rely on WebRTC technology. Ensure it is properly integrated, allowing for low-latency, high-quality video and audio streams.
Quality Optimization: Implement mechanisms for bandwidth optimization and automatic adjustments based on network conditions to ensure smooth video calls even in low-bandwidth situations.
7. Add Additional Features
Screen Sharing: Implement a screen-sharing feature for users to share their screens during the call.
Recording: Enable the recording feature to allow users to save video meetings for future reference.
Messaging: Integrate in-call chat or messaging for participants to communicate without disrupting the meeting.
Breakout Rooms: For large meetings or events, add breakout room functionality to split participants into smaller groups.
8. Test the Integration
Functionality Testing: Test all core functions like video quality, audio clarity, screen sharing, and participant management.
Performance Testing: Evaluate how the app performs under varying network conditions and with multiple participants. Pay attention to latency, video resolution, and bandwidth consumption.
Cross-Platform Testing: Ensure your app works seamlessly across different devices and operating systems (iOS, Android, web browsers).
9. Ensure Security and Compliance
Encryption: Make sure that all video and audio streams are encrypted to protect the data. Most APIs and SDKs offer built-in encryption protocols.
GDPR/CCPA Compliance: Ensure your video conferencing solution complies with global privacy regulations such as GDPR or CCPA, especially if your app collects or stores user data.
Secure Access: Implement features like waiting rooms, password protection, or multi-factor authentication to enhance security.
10. Deploy and Monitor
Deploy Your Application: Once tested and optimized, deploy the updated app with video conferencing functionality.
Monitor Usage: Use monitoring tools to track app performance and user engagement with the new video conferencing features. Keep an eye on any issues like connectivity problems or security vulnerabilities.
Gather Feedback: Collect feedback from users to identify any areas for improvement or additional features that could enhance the experience.
Summary
Video calling has become easier and easier. Businesses are recognizing the benefits of using video conferencing in place of face-to-face meetings. Video conferencing is used in industries like education, healthcare, real estate and eCommerce.
It is possible to integrate an already existing app with video conferencing functionalities thanks to SDKs and APIs. Ready-to-deploy SDKs and APIs like Twilio, Quickblox or Sinch can reduce time-to-market and costs, however, a custom solution will give you more flexibility.
If you want to transform your product and equip it with video conferencing capabilities or build new software from scratch, book a call with Selleo video conferencing api provider. With years of experience in programming, our fully-fledged teams will provide you with a top-notch solution.
- Choose a Video Calling API/SDK: Select a reliable API or SDK, such as Twilio, Agora, or Jitsi, that supports video calling functionality and suits your project requirements.
- Set Up Your Development Environment: Install the necessary libraries or SDK for the API, configure the API keys, and ensure your web development environment (HTML, JavaScript, etc.) is ready for integration.
- Create the Video Call Interface: Build a user interface on your website that includes essential elements like video player components, call controls (mute, video on/off), and participant management.
- Handle Real-Time Communication: Use the API/SDK to establish real-time video and audio communication between users, ensuring that WebRTC or similar technology is properly integrated for low-latency and high-quality streams.
- Test and Deploy: Test the video calling functionality across various browsers and devices, ensure security (e.g., encrypted streams), and finally, deploy the video calling feature on your website for users.
CONTACT WITH AUTHOR
