Rocket.Chat is an excellent open-source messaging (collaboration) platform.
In fact, it is one of the best open-source Slack alternatives available. We use it as well for internal communication.
Rocket.Chat is also making good progress compared to some of its open-source competitors. For instance, they teamed up with Nextcloud to provide an alternative to Office 365.
And recently announced a switch to Matrix protocol to introduce federation capabilities that allow its users to communicate with users on other platforms. In other words, Rocket.Chat will be utilizing a decentralized network for communication with the Matrix integration.
As a Rocket.Chat user; you can talk to users on any other app using the Matrix protocol.
Rocket.Chat is Switching to a Decentralized Protocol to Enhance Collaboration
Matrix protocol is a fantastic choice to enable an interoperable federation. Now, with Rocket.Chat onboard; the decentralized network should be stronger than ever.
Not to forget, we already have Element, and Gitter, as some of the platforms that already utilize Matrix. So, Rocket.Chat joining the network sounds exciting!
The official announcement further explains the collaboration:
The Rocket.Chat adoption of Matrix makes it simple for organizations to easily connect with external parties, whether they’re using Rocket.Chat or any other Matrix compatible platform. This initiative is another step forward on Rocket.Chat’s journey to let every conversation flow without compromise and enable full interoperability with its ecosystem.
The new change with the Matrix network is already available in the latest alpha release for Rocket.Chat 4.7.0. Unless you want to experiment with it, you should wait for the stable release to introduce the Matrix network support.
Aron Ogle (Core Developer at Rocket.Chat) has put together a guide and a video to help you out if you want to explore the technical details of Rocket.Chat integration with the Matrix. Here’s the video for it:
Is This a Good Move?
While decentralized tech hasn’t taken the internet by storm, it is promising and makes more sense with its reliability and decentralized capabilities. Matrix protocol has been getting all the praise for a couple of years now, and it seems to be heading in the right direction.
As of now, most of the big platforms rely on centralized infrastructure to make things work.
And, with the current implementations, cross-communication is not possible with most of the chat applications.
So, Rocket.Chat will be making a difference by offering cross-app interactions, like the ability to chat with an Element user on matrix.org, as shown in the image above.
Rocket.Chat entering the scene with Matrix protocol could open up the potential for its competitors or other services to give a second thought to solutions like Matrix protocol.
What do you think about Rocket.Chat adopting the Matrix protocol? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
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