Click-to-call WebRTC Gateway

What is click-to-call

Click-to-call (CTC) is a form of Web-based communication. The user clicks an object (e.g.: image, button, text) to request an immediate connection with another user in real-time. These requests are most commonly made on websites. CTC today is a clientless web to phone service, with the call taking place outside of the consumer's computer. "Click-to-call" technology refers to a means for a web consumer to ask a website operator to call him/her. In other words, "click-to-call" would be more accurately referred to as "Request-a-Call". CTC (Request-a-Call) technology currently in general use is just exactly what Request-a-Call sounds like: an end user enters his/her phone number through a web dialog box, then an intermediary service calls both that end user and the merchant or other respective third party, and connects the two together for an ordinary telephone conversation. As to cost, typically the website operator pays for CTC services.

What is WebRTC

WebRTC is a new open framework for the web that enables Real Time Communications in the browser. Moreover it enables the voice calling, video chat, and P2P file sharing without plugins for browser-to-browser applications. WebRTC offers web application developers the ability to write realtime multimedia applications like video chat on the web, without requiring plugins, downloads or installs. It's purpose is to help build a strong RTC platform that works across multiple web browsers and multiple platforms. The major component of the WebRTC are: getUserMedia, PeerConnection, DataChannels. The first allows a web browser to access the camera and microphone. The second sets up audio/video calls. The last one allows browsers to share data via peer-to-peer.

What is a Gateway

A gateway interconnects networks with different network protocol technologies by preforming the required protocol conversion. It allows communication between the webphone using the RTMP and the SIP phone. A gateway is a network point that acts as an entrance to another network. In enterprises, the gateway is the computer that routes the traffic from a workstation to the outside network that is serving the Web pages. In homes, the gateway is the Internet Service Providers that connects the user to the internet. In enterprises, the gateway node often acts as a proxy server and a firewall. The gateway is also associated with both a router, which use headers and forwarding tables to determine where packets are sent, and a switch, which provides the actual path for the packet in and out of the gateway.