Jami has its roots in the VoIP and telecommunications research community. The project emerged from a vision of creating truly decentralized, privacy-respecting communication tools that don’t rely on central servers or corporate infrastructure.
The project was originally known as Ring (and before that, SFLphone). The name change to Jami came in 2017 to avoid trademark conflicts and to unify the project’s branding.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2000s | SFLphone project begins at Savoir-faire Linux |
| 2015 | Project rebranded as Ring |
| 2016 | Ring becomes part of GNU Project |
| 2017 | Rebranded to Jami |
| 2018+ | Continued development as free software |
Jami was developed by Savoir-faire Linux, a Canadian company specializing in free software and open-source solutions. The company has a long history of developing communication tools:
Jami (as Ring) became an official GNU Package in 2016, aligning with the free software movement’s principles:
Early versions focused on SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) for traditional VoIP. The evolution to DHT-based P2P communication was a significant architectural shift:
| Generation | Architecture |
|---|---|
| SFLphone | SIP client |
| Ring (early) | SIP + P2P experiments |
| Ring/Jami (modern) | DHT-based P2P |
Jami uses a Distributed Hash Table (DHT) for:
Jami was built on core principles:
| Principle | Implementation |
|---|---|
| Privacy | No central server, end-to-end encryption |
| Freedom | GPLv3+ license, no proprietary codecs |
| Decentralization | DHT network, no single point of control |
| Accessibility | Free to use, no account required beyond app |
| Component | Technology |
|---|---|
| Core | C++ |
| Client UI | C++, Python, Qt |
| Mobile | Java (Android), Swift (iOS) |
| Protocol | Custom P2P over DHT |
| License | GPLv3+ |
Today, Jami continues to evolve with:
Some Jami repositories on git.jami.net are archived (read-only). Check the official website jami.net for current development locations.
| Aspect | Jami | Signal | Matrix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture | P2P (DHT) | Centralized | Federated |
| Server Required | No | Yes | Yes (homeserver) |
| Phone Number | No | Yes | Optional |
| License | GPLv3+ | AGPLv3 | Apache-2.0 |
Jami is particularly suited for:
Any questions?
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