Summer Updates 2023: Vonage Developer News Recap
Published on October 5, 2023

Introduction

Summer is almost gone and ready to leave its spot to yellow leaves, but many new developments for Vonage APIs and products come with them. In this mid-year update, we'll recap major announcements across our portfolio to update you on recent events. Let's dive in!

Build Communications Apps Faster

Do you want to accelerate building communication apps? Check out Vonage's serverless Cloud Runtime platform. It provides pre-built solutions so you can focus on innovation vs. infrastructure. The Runtime handles auth and webhooks, allowing you to rapidly develop and deploy messaging, contact center, and video workflows.

Announcing Code Hub Beta

Our Code Hub beta simplifies building communication apps via prebuilt samples, in-browser coding, and one-click deployments - no local setup is needed!

For example, we have a tutorial that shows you how if you want to spin up an IVR on Code Hub, here's a tutorial that shows you how to do so in under two minutes.

Video + AI: Practical Uses For Today

Our Video API recently integrated powerful AI capabilities for Media Processing and Audio Connector. We are launching a series of practical use cases you can implement today and add to your existing videos.

Release of the New Audio Connector Feature

The new Audio Connector feature allows people who speak different languages to understand one another by being able to read the speaker's audio translated in their language; check out how we made the live translations with the Audio Connector happen.

Customize Your Video Streams with QR Codes and Watermarks

Using JavaScript and the Media Processor API, you can easily overlay QR codes and watermarks on streams - no heavy lifting needed! This opens up many engaging options like increased interactivity, added value, and content protection.

Transcribe Video Conversations Into Google Docs

Check out this fantastic way to transcribe Vonage Video calls into Google Docs! You can pipe audio streams into the Google Speech-to-Text API for live transcriptions into a doc using the Audio Connector. I had fun testing the functionality with Enrico Portolan who provided a video at the end of his article.

Process Audio From Video Applications

We developed a feature that can process audio from video calls. This feature can send that audio to different external services. For instance, it can send the audio to a transcription service which will then identify and note down important questions, tasks, and subjects from the conversation. Another use is sending the audio to a service that recognizes speech and provides live captions for the video call.

Advancing Security to the Next Level

Prevent Fraud and Keep Users Safe

The Number Insight API upgraded with the new v2 entering beta. You can use this API to identify high-risk and fraudulent numbers to protect your users. Version 2 takes it further with advanced scoring to catch scammers and spammers even more accurately.

Improved Security For Video API Callbacks

Check out the new Secure Callbacks capability launched for the Vonage Video API, which provides callback validation via cryptographic signing to prevent unauthorized access and tampering. Secure Callbacks are a game changer for those working on sensitive applications by ensuring callback data integrity.

Making Sure You Know Who is Joining Your Video Calls

The Vonage Video API End-to-end Media Encryption just arrived to improve the security of your multi-party video calls. It ensures only clients with the correct key can decode audio/video streams.

Latest Server SDK Releases

What's New in Our Java SDK v7.7.0 Release

Version 7.7.0 of our Java SDK launched with improved Verify, Meetings, and Subaccounts support. Upgraded dependencies and internal code refactoring will contribute to future-proof your Java applications that leverage Vonage APIs.

Python 3.7 end-of-life

The latest version, v3.9.0, of our Python Server SDK has added support for our Users API and ended support for Python 3.7 as its end-of-life and no longer receiving security updates.

Elevate Your Video Experience: Unlock Exciting New Features

Vonage has unlocked exciting new capabilities to elevate video experiences across platforms. These new features empower developers to create more engaging and secure video applications.

Customize Your Published Videos on iOS and Android

We recently shipped the Video Media Processor for Custom Effects on iOS and Android. This unlocks new creative possibilities for video apps across platforms. Previously limited to JavaScript, the Media Processor API now has native iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS support, too. For example, you can build video transformers on mobile to overlay images on feeds. The added flexibility allows you to easily tailor unique video experiences and features across devices.

Support for Live Captions Reaches General Availability

The Live Captions API reached general availability, offering real-time transcriptions during calls. You can leverage the detailed documentation and code samples to easily add live captions to your Web, iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, and Linux apps. The Live Captions API allows building more accessible and engaging video experiences.

Wrap Up

That covers the highlights for this summer! Tune in throughout Q4 as we continue improving the Vonage platform and tooling for our developer community.

Connect with us on our Developer Community Slack, X, previously known as Twitter, and at events to get the latest news.

Amanda CavallaroDeveloper Advocate

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