It aims to provide a serious alternative to proprietary team communication platforms while keeping the underlying technology open, interoperable and under the control of its users and communities.
Open standards. Open source. Open ecosystems.
Team chat has become dominated by proprietary platforms and closed ecosystems.
OpenTeamChat explores a different approach:
- Open standards: based on XMPP and IETF standards
- Free, libre, and open source: AGPLv3
- Interoperable: designed to work with existing XMPP servers and clients
- Privacy-focused: no dependency on a proprietary central platform
- Sovereign: organisations and communities can operate their own infrastructure
- Multi-platform: mobile, desktop and web
- Modern UX/UI: simple, clean, fast, elegant, and easy to use
The goal is not to reinvent messaging protocols. The goal is to make an open protocol and ecosystem feel as good to use as a modern team chat application.
For free, libre and open source software projects, communities, foundations and ecosystems that need team communication without depending on a proprietary platform.
For developers, designers, product managers, project managers, translators, administrators and other contributors who want a modern and efficient team chat.
For private and public organisations, companies, associations, foundations and informal teams that need control over their communication infrastructure, data and integrations.
OpenTeamChat is open to people contributing: code, UX, UI and design, product management, documentation, localisation and translations, testing and bug reporting, infrastructure and devops, strategy, community building, backing and funding.
Integrators, consultants, trainers and other service providers are also welcome to contribute to the ecosystem.
OpenTeamChat starts from a simple idea:
XMPP is an open, proven protocol. The user experience does not have to feel old.
The project focuses on the parts of team chat that matter every day:
- onboarding
- conversations
- archiving
- notifications
- search
- usability
- responsiveness
- cross-device experience
The ambition is to combine the openness and interoperability of XMPP with the usability people expect from contemporary team chat applications.
Open standards, open source, and interoperable client and server network and infrastructure.
Simple interfaces, clear interactions, standard patterns, and a focus on everyday productivity.
Users and organisations should have control over their communication infrastructure and data.
The architecture should not require everyone to depend on one central service.
Encryption and secure infrastructure are fundamental requirements.
Technology choices should consider their social, environmental and operational impact.
OpenTeamChat is based on XMPP (Jabber), an open standard maintained through the IETF and XSF.
It is intended to interoperate with existing XMPP infrastructure, including:
- ejabberd
- MongooseIM
- Prosody / Snikket
- Tigase
- Openfire
OpenTeamChat is a client/service experiment built around this existing ecosystem rather than a replacement for XMPP itself.
The product targets:
- Android
- iOS
- Linux
- macOS
- Web
- PWA
OpenTeamChat is released under the AGPLv3 copyleft license so it is a digital common.
The project is intended to remain open, modifiable and reusable by communities and organisations.
OpenTeamChat is experimental.
It is currently a proof of concept and an exploration of what a modern XMPP-based team chat could look like.
The project is developed incrementally:
- Start with a small, useful scope.
- Validate the user experience.
- Build robust foundations.
- Add features step by step.
- Validate desirability, feasibility, viability and responsibility continuously.
The project also experiments with AI-assisted development and automation. AI is considered a development tool, not a goal of the project.
OpenTeamChat builds on ideas and experience from existing projects, including:
XMPP
- Gajim
- Converse
- Conversations
- Dino
Open source team communication
- Mattermost
- Zulip
- Rocket.Chat
- Nextcloud Talk
- Element
- Stoat
Commercial products
- Slack
- Discord
- HipChat
OpenTeamChat is open to contributions beyond code.
You can contribute through:
- software development
- UX, UI and product design
- testing & bug reporting
- documentation, internationalisation, localisation, translation
- product strategy and tactics
- communication and marketing
- infrastructure
- accessibility
- community building
- ideas and feedback
If you work with XMPP, open source, team collaboration or enterprise IT, your experience is particularly useful.
The project is experimental. Contributions and critical feedback are welcome.