Real-time communication technologies enable instant data exchange between users and applications. WebRTC, WebSockets, and Server-Sent Events power everything from video conferencing to collaborative editing and live gaming experiences.

Core Technologies

• WebRTC: Peer-to-peer audio, video, and data exchange directly between browsers without servers.

• WebSockets: Bi-directional persistent connections enabling low-latency data exchange.

• Server-Sent Events: One-way streaming from servers for live updates and notifications.

• HTTP/2 Push: Server-initiated content delivery improving performance.

• Long Polling: Legacy technique for real-time updates in older browsers.

Applications

Video conferencing platforms support millions of concurrent users, collaborative document editing enables real-time co-authoring, multiplayer gaming requires low-latency state synchronization, live sports streaming delivers instant score updates, and financial trading platforms provide real-time market data and execution.

Implementation Strategies

Choose appropriate technology based on use case requirements, implement connection management and reconnection logic, optimize bandwidth usage through compression and selective updates, ensure security with encryption and authentication, and scale horizontally using message brokers and distributed architectures.

Performance Optimization

Minimize latency through geographic distribution, implement efficient protocols and data formats, use adaptive bitrate for media streaming, batch updates when possible, and monitor connection health with proactive error handling.