Video conferencing software solutions are booming in popularity and more so since the Covid-19 pandemic. Jitsi is a collection of free and open-source multiplatform voice, video conferencing, and instant messaging applications for the web platform, Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, and Android.
Jitsi is a fully open-source video conference platform providing a host of services, which otherwise would take years to build.
- Jitsi backend code: Java; full of configurable options
- Jitsi frontend code: React; easy to modify and customize as per your requirements.
- Jitsi Mobile Apps (iOS & Android) code: React Native; easy to modify and customize as per your requirements
For the core modules, Jitsi has:
1.Jitsi Meet – Jitsi Meet is an open-source, encrypted audio & video conference software and uses end-to-server/transit encryption, whereby your communication is encrypted before it leaves your device and is then decrypted on the server, processed, and encrypted again before being sent to the recipient(s).
2. Jitsi Video bridge – At the heart of Jitsi is the Jitsi Video bridge which, is a WebRTC compatible video router or SFU that let’s build highly scalable video conferencing infrastructure (i.e., up to hundreds of conferences per server).
Jitsi Video Bridge is an XMPP server component that allows for multi-user video communication. Unlike the expensive dedicated hardware video bridges, the Jitsi Video bridge does not mix the video channels into a composite video stream, but only relays the received video channels to all call participants.
Therefore, while it does need to run on a server with good network bandwidth, CPU horsepower is not that critical for performance.
3. Jitsi Conference Focus / JICOFO – Optional module for adding session management and basic meetings schedule. Jitsi Conference focus is a mandatory component of the Jitsi Meet conferencing system next to the video bridge. It is responsible for managing media sessions between each of the participants and the video bridge.
Whenever a new conference is about to start an IQ is sent to the component to allocate new focus instances. After that special focus participant joins the Multi-User Chat room. It will be creating a Jingle session between the Jitsi video bridge and the participant.
Although the session in terms of XMPP is between focus user and participant the media will flow between the participant and the video bridge. That’s because focus users will allocate Colibri channels on the bridge and use them as its own Jingle transport.
4. Jitsi Gateway to SIP / JIGASI – Optional module adding support for things like VoiceIP software and devices. Jitsi Gateway to SIP is a server-side application acting as a gateway to Jitsi Meet conferences.
Currently allows regular SIP clients to join meetings and provides transcription capabilities. It is a server-side application that links and allows regular SIP clients to join Jitsi Meet conferences hosted by Jitsi Video bridge.
5. Jibri (Jitsi BRoadcasting Infrastructure) – Optional module adding conference recording. Jibri provides services for recording or streaming a Jitsi Meet conference.
It works by launching a Chrome instance rendered in a virtual frame buffer and capturing and encoding the output with FFmpeg.
It is intended to be run on a separate machine (or a VM), with no other applications using the display or audio devices. Only one recording at a time is supported on a single Jibri.
6. Prosody – This module handles all the low-level messaging in an industry-standard XMPP protocol. It allows for maximum compatibility with various communication devices supporting XMPP.
Prosody is an XMPP server where all components connect to it so they can communicate using XMPP protocol, this includes web, jicofo, jvb and the rest of the components.
Jicofo is the first to enter a room and orchestrates the conference, sending invites, opening channels on the video bridge, and such
With the above in place, we can help you build a UI and add custom features specific to your project/business plan.
Team 01Synergy has been building custom audio and video conference systems on the Jitsi platform for traditional businesses and start-ups providing virtual events, classrooms.