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5 Key Points to Consider While Choosing a Video Chat API for Web and Mobile Apps

Needless to say, the governments and businesses the world over are seeking innovative ways to connect with their citizens and customers, respectively. One of those ways is the Video Chat API solution. Now, how to decide ìf a particular video calling API is the right kind of API for your organization since there are two different kinds of APIs available in the market — conventional and non-conventional?

Well, this blog throws a spotlight on the above question and then the top five factors that must be considered when choosing the best video chat API for mobile apps, android, ios, or the web.

5 Key Points to Consider While Choosing a Video Chat API

In order to understand what kind of API would be most appropriate for your organization, let’s look at the basic differences between conventional and non-conventional API.

A conventional API requires the development team to build a UI from scratch, which means more coding and more work. On the other hand, the newer, full-featured API requires less development work, testing, and maintenance and which means you can have your app built way faster.

In the former kind, you do not get enough space for customization, whereas in the latter case, developers can build apps that are highly flexible and can work on all platforms such as Web, Android, or iOS to enable a user-friendly interface and experience.

The following five factors must be considered when making a decision to choose the right kind of video call API.

  1. Browser Compatibility
  2. Browser and Platform Updates
  3. UI and Layout Design
  4. HIPAA Compliance
  5. HIPAA Compliance

1. Browser Compatibility:

Choose a full-featured API that is functional across varying platforms.

When it comes to live video calls, every web browser or mobile platform behaves differently. And, if you have a conventional API that offers only basic features, you will likely face breaks and interruptions in your video calls.

By contrast, a full-featured API is built on a technology that can automatically adapt to all the browsers and platforms.

Non-conventional Video Call APIs are built on a new standard called WebRTC.

You might be making use of WebRTC technology but facing cross-browser issues, which means your live video streaming is becoming frozen every now and then. This is because your video call APIs are not able to handle different browsers at the same time.

WebRTC built on conventional APIs may make video calling possible but run poorly when many different participants are involved and use different browsers such as Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc.

Needless to today, non-conventional APIs — those that have been carefully tested on several different browsers and different platforms such as Android, iOS, or Web will provide for an optimized video streaming result.

2. Browser and Platform Updates:

The conventional APIs aren’t equipped to handle the browser or platform updates

The web browsers and mobile devices may update on their own, and then you would think it’s great to have a new functionality without having to remember downloading any new software for an update. However, it’s not that great when it comes to video calls.

That’s because video calls or websites may break or freeze, all of a sudden, when a browser, say Chrome, for example, is in ‘autoplay’ mode and updating by itself. If the developers working on an app that uses conventional APIs aren’t aware of such a change, they will need to undo the codes they have already written.

The full-featured, non-conventional APIs make way for a smooth video call.

When you make use of the latest, most innovative, full-featured, and high-level APIs, they can easily handle the updates and manage both the audio and video call elements to make way for a smooth and uninterrupted video call.

3. Bandwidth Management:

The conventional APIs may make it difficult for you to have a high-quality video call

Not all APIs, especially the traditional ones, can let you have good quality video calls. This is because you may face a poor bandwidth connection during a video call. The developers who are smart at handling the network issues first establish quality benchmarks from a given data and then, without affecting the servers, browser connections, or devices, adjust the live video streaming during each video call.

Integrate high-level video call API to mobile apps or web

With the above not be feasible during live video streaming, you should prefer having the latest and more flexible video call API — the one that can handle the bandwidth well. When you integrate a live video call API & SDK into your existing app for android apps, ios, mobile, or web – the one that is called a high-level API and SDK — it reduces the work of developers. It enhances the video calling experience of users.

4. UI and Layout Design:

The traditional APIs do not provide for an in-built user-interface

Video Call API for android apps and ios — those that are older and traditional — asks you to create your UI. Even if you receive a UI kit to make it work for you, you can’t be sure if it will because it has not been through the testing phase and review.

Make use of a non-conventional, full-featured API

A full-featured API comes with an in-built UI and a customizable UI. Therefore, the developers can use advanced CSS and JavaScript to customize your UI and build a layout design to make it work across all browsers and devices. Such an API does take care of the UI updates as well.

5. HIPAA Compliance:

Most conventional APIs do not meet the HIPAA guidelines

HIPAA requires that applications be developed to meet a standard set of guidelines as mandated by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR). Most of the conventional APIs will not allow HIPAA Business Associate Agreement to occur and for PHI security and HIPAA compliance to be maintained.

The non-conventional APIs being HIPAA-compliant is best for healthcare apps

When the conventional APIs do not work, it is there, and then that advanced-level APIs come to your rescue. With such APIs being HIPAA compliant, you can build a healthcare app without any hassle.

Best Video Chat API For Mobile Or Web Platform

  • There are many video chat API providers
  • Twilio Video Chat API- easy to use, scalable and reliable
  • Appear. in- free for personal usage, low latency with high-quality video calls
  • Google Hangouts- requires Gmail account, great for meetings or presentations
  • Skype – free to download and can be used on multiple devices
  • WhatsApp Messenger – free to download and can be used on multiple devices
  • Google Hangouts – free to download, but not as popular as other apps
  • Facebook Messenger- free to download, but not as popular as other apps

Conclusion:

Your ultimate goal should be to use a video call API that takes care of all the above factors and so that you do not face any hassles during a video call session.

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