Matrix.org launches a new basis for open, distributed, real time communication between connected devices, services, and people.
Matrix.org has launched its first steps in providing industry with open, distributed communications tools with a new open standard for seamless and interoperable real time communication over IP.
Matrix is a new open standard developed to break the status quo and allow communication services themselves to interoperate. The end goal is that consumers will be able to choose to use their favourite app from their trusted app provider and still be able to communicate with friends using competing apps and services
Amandine Le Pape, business lead at Matrix, said: 'For consumers our aim is to make VoIP and instant messaging as flexible and ubiquitous as email. Users should be free to communicate with their friends on a service of their choosing.'
The standard has been designed to be lightweight, pragmatic, fully distributed, federated and interoperable, and any individual or organisation can set up their own Matrix server to manage their own communications, as with email.
Developers will be able to easily create and host their own real time communication functionality, or add such features to an existing service whilst building on the Matrix community of users. Alternatively existing communication services can also easily integrate into the Matrix ecosystem.
Matthew Hodgson, Matrix technical lead, said: 'From today anyone can run their own Matrix server and clients, and developers can use the client API to add IM and VoIP to new or existing apps and access the wider Matrix ecosystem. It's early days, but we're really excited to see what people build as Matrix matures.'
Matrix.org is an open initiative set up by a cross-industry team of developers with an extensive experience in building custom VoIP and messaging apps for mobile network operators. Its initial inspiration and goal has been to fix the problem of fragmented IP communications. However, Matrix's real potential and ultimate mission is to be a new and truly open ecosystem on the Internet enabling services, devices and people to easily communicate with each other.
Matrix.org is an open initiative and will be run as a nonprofit. All the code has been and will continue to be, opensource. Anyone can go to Github now and try out the examples and API.
