As we all know, the widespread adoption of tablets and smartphones has made it easier than ever to stay connected to family and friends, no matter where in the world they may be. Live video is the next best thing to being in the same room with loved ones, enabling a deeper connection than a phone call alone can provide.

However, one group that has been slow to adopt live video is the senior community. Not having grown up with the wide range of digital devices we use today, the complexity can be intimidating and overwhelming. Tiny controls and screens can be tricky for those with vision or mobility issues, and what should be an enjoyable experience can deteriorate into one that leaves seniors feeling frustrated and isolated.

Europe has the highest smartphone penetration globally with 84% of the population on mobile. Enabled by internet speeds that race ahead of the world and highly competitive broadband prices, Europe has pioneered many live video communications applications.

From major financial institutions like RBS launching live video for wealth management, to Babylon Health bringing online doctor consultations to the UK, and customer experience innovators Unblu and InfoCert – businesses across Europe are using live video to transform user experiences. With the power to reduce fuel costs and carbon footprint, enhance education, plus improve patients’ lives, the rise of real-time video communications in Europe is a force for social good too.

Here is a closer look at some of the most innovative applications of live video in Europe:

Welcome back to Real-Talk, where each month we bring you the hottest news, views and developments in the world of live video, WebRTC and real-time communications.

This month’s news was all about group video. WhatsApp rolled out 4 person video chat; Facebook introduced a feature that lets groups watch videos together; and Apple came up against the challenges of building multi-party video announcing delays to group FaceTime. In other developments, the combination of AR and live video is poised to transform communications across industries, and of course some big news of our own!

We look back at the last month at TokBox. Catch up on new features available for the OpenTok platform, find out where we’re going to be popping up at an event near you and check out the top content from the month.

It’s your monthly live video news round up!

Today I’m pleased to announce that TokBox has been acquired by Vonage, and will become part of Nexmo, the Vonage API Platform.

We’re incredibly excited and believe this is a great development for our video platform and the customers who use it. TokBox and Vonage share a vision of making businesses of all sizes and across all verticals more successful through the creation of engaging communications applications and experiences.