While customers have trended away from mobile and landline calls, that doesn't mean their preferences have also moved away from real-time contact. Indeed, every item that shows an expected increase on the list included a real-time component. And yes, that statement includes chatbots, also known as virtual agents, since you're still communicating with something in real time.

However, real time communications does not include email, bulletin boards, blogs or other forms of internet communication where users read content without regard to the time the sender posts it, which can create a significant delay between data transmission and reception.

In addition, real-time communications are never stored in an interim state anywhere between the transmitter and the receiver, as defined by Techopedia. Within that context, think of “real-time communications” as a synonym for “live communications.”

In a communication of this type, there is a return path where the receiver can also communicate with the sender in real time. Real time communications can take place in “half duplex” or “full duplex”:

• Half duplex — Communications in one channel in one direction at a time; sender or receiver can send but not receive at the same time (think of an old-style walkie-talkie where the user has to say “over” to tell the person on the other end that she can speak).

• Full duplex — Sender and receiver can send and receive messages simultaneously in two parallel communication pathways.

Why are real time communications important?

In short, customers today expect immediacy. That's true whether the customer comes to the company seeking information, support, or sales engagement, and no matter what the format. For example, a passenger who has missed a connecting flight may contact the reservations center via the airline's app or a phone call while stranded at the intervening hub. But they likely won't send an email and hang around waiting for a reply.

RTC also stands out because of its ability to provide information, service, or sales engagement in the right context and with the right timing. In the example we just looked at, for instance, measures that push context-important data to agents as the customer calls in can reduce the number of times the customer must repeat their story before achieving resolution. And this matters: Consumers told Vonage that one of their biggest communications hurdles was repeating themselves to different people.

In this context, those systems could:

• Show what section of the app the customer placed a call from

• Automatically populate relevant data, especially that on a timer, such as the customer's flight agenda

• Allow agents to chat — another RTC medium — in real time during handoff, ensuring the right information is available quickly

Naturally, achieving this level of responsiveness in any field takes some time, planning, and investment.

Advantages of real time communication

Real time communication tools keep businesses agile and responsive. Here are the key advantages of adopting real time communication in your strategy:

1. Instant interaction: Enables immediate responses between individuals or systems, reducing delays and keeping conversations fluid. Whether in customer support or internal collaboration, real time communication software eliminates bottlenecks and speeds up resolution times.

2. Enhanced collaboration: Supports seamless teamwork, especially for remote and global teams working across different time zones. Features like instant messaging, video conferencing, and live document editing make it easier to share ideas and solve problems together in real time.

3. Improved customer experience: Provides quick support and personalized engagement, leading to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty. Live chat, AI virtual assistants, and instant voice/video calls ensure customers get the answers they need without waiting for email responses or call-backs.

4. Higher productivity: Reduces wait times and streamlines workflows, enabling teams to make faster decisions and complete tasks efficiently. Businesses that leverage real time communication services can respond to market changes, customer inquiries, and internal issues more effectively, reducing downtime.

5. Stronger business agility: Allows organizations to adapt quickly to challenges and opportunities. Whether responding to a security threat, managing a crisis, or capitalizing on a market trend, real time communication solutions empower companies to act decisively and stay ahead of the competition.

Real time communication for business

Fast Wi-Fi and mobile data options (and the powerful phones that run on the networks) have made possible a new generation of business apps — network- and provider-agnostic services that allow customers to chat and call directly within the app, with voice data traveling over the data network the device happens to be connected to at the time.

We've seen the market use these expanded capabilities in increasingly creative ways. In Southeast Asia, a real-time ride-hailing app called Grab goes over the top of unreliable local carrier infrastructure, allowing customers to interact directly with the business through voice messages delivered over a Voice API. In turn, this allows the data to travel over a worldwide, low-latency cloud network, adding a greater layer of reliability and service quality and helping overcome the market's unique challenges by proxy.

Of course, there are plenty more business use cases for RTC. In workplaces without a traditional office space, such as restaurants and retailers, RTC can help on-the-go employees, who probably don't have time to respond to a traditional email but can do a quick IM or call from the floor if needed. In other workplaces, real-time messaging within a company app can replace mass-emailing staff organizational announcements, a move Vonage's report indicates could increase employee engagement. Remember, employees are consumers, too, and their preferences don't exist in a commerce-only vacuum.

The future of real time communication

As the earlier Grab example shows, the impact of RTC can be measured in two ways: technologies that end-users interface with (apps) and technologies that allow those end-user products to do the things they do by enabling communication on the backend (APIs; cloud).

That last point is important because it gives RTC a strong appeal among developers, IT managers, product managers, and entrepreneurs, among others. APIs and their popularity among businesses are one reflection of this trend; so, too, is the rise of unified communications platforms, which enable companies to build RTC directly into existing systems and workflows.

Real time communication systems bring endless opportunities for your business

It’s important to remember that real time communication isn’t just for customer interactions, but it can revolutionize internal operations too. The quicker information flows, the more productive, efficient, and satisfied everyone becomes. This could be as simple as an employee using instant messaging instead of email for a quick question or as transformative as a company revamping its contact center with a real time communication platform.

Ultimately, every business must determine how real time communication can enhance its workflows, but the opportunities are everywhere. How would your organization evolve with a renewed focus on real-time engagement?

Contact us now to see what our Vonage Business Communications can do for your business.