(Note: This is the second post in a series. If you are new, you can start with the intro.)
In the business of real-time video communication, the quality of your experience depends on multiple components. As a user you can have good control over some, for example the device you are using and the environment you are in. For others, e.g. how to get all your data as quickly as possible to its destination, you depend on the service platform. This is where Pexip comes into the picture and brings two major ingredients: 1) a distributed architecture and 2) a media network.
Distribution
Pexip has established data centers in 13 locations around the globe to to provide the backbone for the service offering. These have been strategically chosen to ensure that media is terminated as close to the user as possible. The data then has to spend as little time as possible on the open internet. While the Internet is great for many things, real-time communication is definitely not one of it's strengths.
Combine this with the distributed architecture of Pexip, and your meeting with people from around the globe is optimized so that each participant uses the data center closest to their geographical location. (Some competing services use the location of the first participant to determine the location of all meeting attendees. In this case, an enthusiastic, early attendee from Australia can result in a poor meeting experience if everyone else is in Europe since all the data will need to travel to Australia and back.)
Media network
So, the data centers are in place, handling the data as they arrive from the various participants. Pexip's dedicated media network makes sure they are transported in a best possible way across to their destination. This network has a guaranteed quality of service (QoS) with clear definitions on what to expect when it comes to latency, jitter and packet loss; the three arch-enemies of real-time media.
The result? A service used by people in more than 190 countries around the globe. 🙌
Next, we'll look closer at the second of Pexip's core strengths: simplicity. How to just meet. Stay tuned.