Video calls and conferences are simply the necessities of the post-covid reality of doing business. Throughout the pandemic when people are forced to stay at home, many have relied on using video calls to communicate with loved ones and colleagues, and businesses have also relied on video conferencing to facilitate remote working.
With that being said, many businesses simply felt that off-the-shelf solutions like Zoom and Skype are no longer adequate for their needs: some might want to incorporate their logo and brand elements in their own video conferencing solution, some might want extra features, and some might even need their own solution out of necessity to stay compliant to industry regulations like HIPAA or GDPR.
In those cases, integrating a video calls API can be a time-efficient and cost-effective solution instead of building your video calls solution from scratch.
What is a Video Calls API?
First, what is API?
API, or Application Programming Interface, is a programming code that is designed to perform as an interface, a bridge between two or more different applications.
The main function of an API is to “teach” an application how to communicate with the application providing the API, so the former application can now access some or all the functionalities of the latter.
A video calls API, simply put, is an API provided by a vendor that already has a functional video calls application. Thus, when another application integrates this API, this application will gain access to the video calls and conferencing functionalities.
In short, a video calls API allows businesses to have their own video conferencing solution without needing to build their own solution from scratch.
Why is this relevant? Let us discuss it below in the next section.
Do Your Business Need a Video Calls API?
As discussed, a video calls API would allow an application to have video calls and video conferencing functionalities with ease, but to really understand this benefit, we have to first discuss the challenges of building your own application from scratch:
1. Cost
Unless you have the programming know-how and will develop the video calls solution yourself, chances are you’ll need to hire an experienced software developer or outsource the development process to an agency. This can be extremely expensive in the long run, and if you are not planning to use the video calls application commercially, the investment might not be worth it.
2. Longer Delivery Time
Even if you do have the budget to develop your own app from scratch, it can take a long time to develop and test the video calls app before it’s ready for launch. If your app must stay in compliance with specific regulations (HIPAA), then the process can be much more complex and expensive, resulting in a longer delivery time and higher expenses.
3. Data Security
Video calls naturally involve transmissions of a lot of data, potentially including confidential and personally identifiable information. When building your solution from scratch, you’ll also need to consider data encryption and data security at both database and end-user levels. This can be a difficult and expensive process. Also, you might not have the required infrastructure to secure your application.
Benefits of Integrating a Video Calls API
To avoid the issues related to building your own app from scratch, as discussed above, a viable solution is to partner with a web video conferencing API.
Doing so can allow you to have a video calls solution that is totally your own, which will provide the following benefits:
1. Cost-Efficiency
By integrating an API, you’ll save a lot on software development costs compared to building your own solution from scratch. Typically integrating an API will involve an affordable one-time cost or subscription fee, and you also don’t need to worry about hosting and maintenance fees.
2. Faster Turnaround Time
The main benefit of integrating a video calls API is that you can avoid lengthy and complex software development time, so you can launch the solution much faster. If you are integrating an API from an established vendor, then you can eliminate the testing phase and gain reliable video call functionalities on your solution right away.
3. Better Data Security
As discussed, data security should be your topmost concern when building a video conferencing app. Using an established video calls API ensures data security and privacy are secured. You can simply launch the video calls solution right away without having to worry about how to protect your communications and data integrity.
4. Reliability
By integrating a video calls app from an established vendor like Iotum, you’ll gain access to reliable video calls functions with the right set of features according to your needs. Thus, you won’t need to worry about the app not meeting your standards. From high-end vendors, you may also get AI and machine learning capabilities, which can further reduce the costs of hiring experienced AI developers and designers. With Iotum, for example, you’ll gain access to Cue, an AI-powered personal assistant that can automate meeting transcriptions among other AI-based features.
5. Focus On Your Core Business
Chances are, your business’s main focus is not software development, so instead of disrupting your team’s core competencies by building your own software from scratch, you can focus more on achieving your business goals by integrating an API into your application.
Conclusion
Integrating a video calls API can be a cost-effective solution for businesses to get their own video conferencing app while eliminating the complexity of software development. Doing so can provide your business the versatility and freedom of having your own app, like the ability to use your logo and branding elements, but also ensure cost and time efficiency.