We live in an era of teleworking from home, digital nomads and international offices. And this is only possible because we can stay connected with amazing technology. If you've been in business for over a decade, you probably remember the high cost and complexity of audio and video conferencing. Third-party vendors were organizing conference calls and video conferencing required separate rooms with very expensive equipment at each endpoint.
Everything began to change in the mid-2000s, when webcams became the main computer equipment, and Skype and similar services entered the market. The cost and complexity of video conferencing quickly declined as anyone with a webcam, fast internet, and inexpensive software could communicate with colleagues, friends, family members, and even strangers right from their home or work computer. Now, with a reliable mobile Internet or WiFi connection and the right software, a video conference can be placed in your palm using your smartphone's video camera. But most of this software is commercial.
Fortunately, there are some great open source video conferencing alternatives that replicate the features of Skype, Zoom, Google Hangouts, and similar apps.
Jitsi
Web conferencing at Jitsi is extremely simple: The system works directly in the browser without the need for download and registration. To set up a video conference, you need to go to Jitsi Meet , enter a username (or choose a random one) and click the Go button. As soon as you give permission to use your camera and microphone ( DTLS / SRTP is used for encryption ), the system generates a link and a number where you can join the call; you can also add a password for the conference as an additional security measure.
During a conference, you can share a screen, document, presentation, or co-edit documents using Etherpad. Android and iOS apps let you hold video conferencing in Jitsi on the go; you can also host your multi- party video conferencing service by installing Jitsi Videobridge .
Jitsi is written in Java and is compliant with WebRTC standards, and the service advertises low latency by delivering audio and video directly to participants (rather than mixing them, as other alternatives do). Atlassian acquired Jitsi in 2015, but the service remains open source under the Apache 2.0 license . Its open source is on GitHub , you can also check out the communityor see other projects based on this technology.
Wire
Designed by the sound engineers who created Skype, Wire includes secure screen sharing, file access, group chat, admin control, and the ability to switch between accounts and profiles (such as work and personal) in the app.
Wire is an open source messenger licensed under the GPL 3.0 and is free to use if you compile it from code on your own server. A paid version is available starting at $ 5 per month (corporate plans are also available).
Jami (formerly Ring)
Jami , the official package of the GNU system, is licensed under the GPLv3 and takes its commitment to security and free and open source very seriously. Conversations are protected by end-to-end encryption with authentication using RSA / AES / DTLS / SRT technologies and X.509 certificates.
Audio and video calls are made through the Jami app, available on GNU / Linux, Windows and MacOS, as well as Android and iOS mobile devices. You can communicate either using a unique user ID (generated when you first launch the application) or using the SIP protocol. You can use them in parallel, switching as needed, but you must register your ID in the blockchain, only then can you use it for communication.
In Jami you can find newsgroups, media sharing and text messaging. For more information about the application, visit the source code data archive , and answers to questions about using the system can be found in the FAQ .
Riot
Riot isn't just a video conferencing alternative, it's team management software with integrated group video and voice chats. Communication (including audio and video conferencing, file sharing, notifications and project reminders) takes place in special “rooms” organized by topic, team, event, and so on. Everything that is used in these rooms is continuously stored in them with access controlled by confidential settings. You can also use Riot to chat with people using other applications - including IRC, Slack, Twitter, SMS, and Gitter - and that's pretty cool.
You can use Riot in your browser (Chrome and Firefox), or in apps on macOS, Windows and Linux, and on iOS and Android mobile devices. In terms of infrastructure, Riot can be installed on your server or run on Riot servers. It is based on the Matrix React SDK, so all transferred files and data in the application are end-to-end encrypted.
Riot is available under the Apache 2.0 license , its source code is available on GitHub, and on the site you can find documentation , including video tutorials and frequently asked questions.
Signal
Signal app for Android or iOS mobile devicesoffers end-to-end encryption for audio, video, text and photos; it has been endorsed by security and crypto experts such as Edward Snowden and Bruce Schneier, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation. The registration step is simple: you are identified by your phone number, so you just need to use the app to register. The app is also available for the desktop, but it only supports text chat, so it's clear that Whisper Systems - the nonprofit that supports the app - wants to turn it into a mobile app. And this is just perfect: while working, you can use the application on the desktop for short messages and questions, and for short calls and video consultations, pick up the phone (as you do).
Linphone
Linphone is a voice over IP protocol that operates over the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP). This means that you need a SIP number to use the service, and Linphone restricts you to communicate only with the same SIP numbers - not mobile or landline numbers. Obtaining such a SIP number is very easy - many ISPs include them in their regular services, and Linphone offers a free SIP service.
With Linphone, you can make HD audio and video calls, web conferencing, instant messaging, and file and photo sharing, but it does not offer features such as screen sharing or collaboration. It is available on Linux, Windows, macOS, as well as Android and iOS mobile devices.
Linphone is dual licensed; there is an open source version of GPLv2 , as well as a closed version that can be embedded in other enterprise projects. The source code can be taken from here ; and the website has other Linphone resources, including the user manual and technical documentation .
Nextcloud
Nextcloud project gives you your personal cloud space with a lot of collaboration tools. After installing Nextcloud on the server or opening an account, you can add users who can log in and use the Nextcloud interface for a collaborative workspace. Users can store and share documents and files either through the web interface, or simply by sending them to the Nextcloud folder on the desktop - it automatically syncs with the Nextcloud desktop client. The web interface also has a chat application called Talk , which allows you to make audio and video calls.
Nextcloud is a shared workspace and it is likely that it will become the primary virtual office space for your team once it is installed and configured for your organization. While it doesn't have everything your team needs, it is an ideal place to share and manage the data your team is working on, and coordinate remote work.
Other options
The open source landscape is constantly changing, so it is likely that some of you are using other audio and video conferencing solutions. If you have a favorite that is not on the list, please share it in the comments.
Learn more about how to get a high-profile profession from scratch or Level Up in skills and salary by taking SkillFactory's paid online courses:
- DevOps course (12 months)
- Machine Learning (12 )
- Data Science (12 )
- (9 )
- «Python -» (9 )