Much like 3D is more like 2.5D so is VOIP through Silverlight. TringMe has set up a compelling Silverlight prototype showing how to make a call using Silverlight. They’re using Flash to handle the voice and audio, with Silverlight to passing the number, the call action, and hang up action. It looks like Silverlight is calling the Flash object through a JavaScript layer. This use of JavaScipt reminds me of the YouTube in Silverlight prototype. The video controls were done in Silverlight, the video was Flash, and the interaction between them used the YouTube JavaScript library.
Until Silverlight has native mic and webcam support, this will have to do. Here’s the demo (click the image).
Thanks to my PHP buddy, Robert Swarthout, for telling me about this.
Silverlight’s first VOIP application
This TringMe prototype is not the first time VOIP has been done through a Silverlight interface. Cynergy used Skype com objects to accomplish this. Check out Mike Wolf’s post for more deatails; very cool stuff. (My favorite quote from Mike is: “Just because one platform doesn’t have feature A, you don’t have to drop it entirely.”)
February 4th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
Hi, thanks for the SL-VOIP info. Maybe SL 3.0 will give us Mic/Cam support without Flash.Where can I find info about the ” YouTube in Silverlight prototype”?Thanks
February 5th, 2009 at 8:47 am
[...] Silverlight and VOIP (Corey Schuman) [...]
February 5th, 2009 at 8:55 am
Hey John, thanks for the comment. Blitz labs did the “Play YouTube FLV Videos with Silverlight 2.0“. It doesn’t look like their prototype is up and working; however the concept is sound. Call YouTube’s JavaScript from Silverlight, put SL in Windowless mode, and place a swf on top.
February 7th, 2009 at 8:11 pm
There is no question the idea of
making a phone call out of a Silverlight application is extremely
interesting and presents a very important piece of thought leadership
in the RIA space. However this is not the first time this was done at
all.
This same approach was used by Cynergy nearly a year ago when they
won the National Microsoft Phizzpop Challenge. You can see their live
phone call to Senator Obama’s office at SXSW a year ago here
http://www.truveo.com/PhizzPop-Cynergy-presents-Ben/id/288230381149978300
Cynergy then demonstrated the same approach, again calling Senator
Obama’s office live from the UXWeek conference over the summer.
http://vimeo.com/2833183
The general approach was blogged by Skype as well
http://share.skype.com/sites/us/2008/09/ben_franklin_namesake_goes_phi.html
In the name of fairness, openness and honesty it is worth adjusting
the claims that this is the first time ever this has been accomplished,
and to give reference and claims to those who have laid the foundation
for this kind of thought leadership.
Dave Wolf
Vice President
Cynergy
February 9th, 2009 at 9:35 am
Hey Dave,
Thanks for posting the comment, I haven’t seen this implementation of Silverlight VOIP. Cynergy should be credited with the first implementation of making a call through Silverlight. Cynergy certainly is a leader in the Silverlight space with products like Ben and of course Line Rdier (http://linerider.com/).
As far as the TringMe prototype, I really like that they used Flash. Using Flash enables you to be sure the user has the technology.
Again, thanks for the comment. Though leadership is what is and what’s going to make Silverlight a very competive technology.
-Corey
October 24th, 2009 at 8:24 pm
The articles here are great. Thanks for having them. I love reading blogs about Voice over IP! It’s such an exciting technology. I don’t comment on many sites but had to on yours. Thanks again - great site!