WebRTC Fallback: Flash or Plugin?

What do you do on an unsupported browser with your WebRTC service?

Tomorrow we start off in Santa Clara with WebRTC Conference & Expo. There are many events around the world now that do WebRTC. This is the second one just this month in Santa Clara, with other events this month and the next, either giving WebRTC a day or the whole show.

This week, I'll be working as a moderator in many of the panels and sessions, and one of the things I'll be asking is the question around fallback – it is something that I am asked a lot, so why not let other suffer the same fate?

WebRTC doesn't work on all browsers, though situation is getting better. What are the options that vendors have when the time comes?

1. Ignore

Take the easy path of ignoring the unsupported browsers. This means your service won't work on IE or Safari and you can always place a nasty/nice message telling the user to switch to a somewhat more "advanced" browser.

Might not work at all for some cases (think of restrictive IT people who must have their IE browser in all machines). And in others it might mean losing users.

But it is valid, and happens everywhere around us.

Just to make a point – my blog gets access by Chrome and Firefox together by 78% of my visitors. Ignoring the rest might not be such a bad idea for a service on my blog that requires WebRTC…

2. Leave

This is what I say to those who whine that they can't use WebRTC because it doesn't work on IE. Just leave. Shoo. Go somewhere else. Don't use WebRTC if it doesn't fit your need.

Go build your own solution from scratch and then complain again that it isn't accessible from a browser.

You can never satisfy everyone.

3. Flash

WebRTC can't be used? Just use Flash – good chances are it is already installed on the browser anyway.

Sure – quality will suffer and you'll get a ton of headache getting this to work properly when some use Flash and others WebRTC in the same session – but if you really need it, then there's a solution available for you.

4. Plugin

You can always wrap WebRTC as a plugin and go install it on the non-supporting browser when necessary.

Yap. Some might end up with technical issues installing it, others will just skip your service – but it gets you a bit more eyeballs.

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What is your pick and why?