5 open source video conferencing tools for businesses

Open source. What is it? Why do we use it? It's got a ton of purposes - especially in today's world - and when it comes to video conferencing… well, if you're not paying attention to this space, you're seriously missing out.

Virtual meetings are the bread and butter for pretty much all companies now - post-pandemic, we wouldn't expect much else. Sure, Zoom is an option. But if you don't like it? There are plenty of others to choose from! These solutions are just as good and often have even greater benefits than the most popular of platforms.

Looking for a tool that meets your requirements 100 percent but not sure which one to choose? Read on, because we will provide you with plenty of info about the options out there now.

What should you pick for online meetings?

We all know that the pandemic equaled a massive boost in videoconferencing. It pushed a lot of people and businesses toward using open source business intelligence programs. These days, end users and businesses benefit from more robust offerings than were available just a few years ago, so competition is rocketing at an astonishing pace. Many of these projects use WebRTC, the open-source real-time communication framework from Google, and others that support video, audio, and data communications.

In this article, we present five open-source tools and platforms offering video conferencing services. Some are free, and some provide advanced paid options. With some, customers configure, host, and manage the software locally; other platforms provide cloud-based hosting or offer both. Ready? Let's begin this journey through new technologies!

Apache OpenMeetings

First things first. Let's start with Apache project, which contains OpenMeetings - providing for video conferencing, instant messaging, whiteboard sharing, and collaborative document editing. There is no desktop or mobile app; the system is accessed through a web browser from a desktop or smartphone.

OpenMeetings users can choose different camera resolutions, record calls, and change input devices during a call. The system includes moderation features, so users get a plethora of different kinds of permissions - and private messaging is also available. The platform also offers polling and backup capabilities.

Meetings can be scheduled through the OpenMeetings calendar and connect from external applications such as Google Calendar and Outlook. OpenMeetings can be deployed from a local server, but hosted service providers are also available. The code and further details are available on GitHub.

BigBlueButton

Designed more for online learning and education than for companies, BigBlueButton is a professional conferencing system that offers real-time sharing of audio, video, slides, chat, and a trainer/speaker's screen. Students and participants can interact with each other by sharing emoji icons, polls, and subgroup rooms. Although most integration is aimed at learning management systems, it is also suitable for business needs. There are lots of other education and training software options out there - plus SMS, which can be applicable in many cases too.

BigBlueButton, as an HTML5-based web application, can run on a local server or from a hosted service. Users connect through their browser (desktop or mobile) without installing any software. BigBlueButton's code and further details are available on GitHub.

Element

Element is a secure collaboration app for Matrix, a decentralized, open-source communication network. It offers a hosting service called Element Matrix Services that runs on Matrix.

Protected by end-to-end encryption and cross-signature device verification, the chat app is designed as a secure option for collaboration among teams, friends, and organizations. Seen as a kind of open-source alternative to Slack, it lets users create communities, ping out text messages, and initiate video conferences within a group or community. Created as a chat service, Element does lack the advanced video conferencing features other platforms offer, such as the ability to turn on/off participants' audio and schedule meetings… but it's still got a bunch to offer.

Jami

Fourth up, we've got Jami. It may not be as feature-rich as some others, but it has one exceptional strength: if you're on a low-bandwidth network, it works fantastically. Say goodbye to freezing, jolting, and sound lag. Plus, it's available for Mac OS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, and Android TV - so we're talking options upon options here.

Another of its special features? When in a video conference, any user can change the layout, share presentations, broadcast full-screen multimedia content, and select participants to highlight. With one click, the app can turn into a conference server, where a permanent or temporary room can be created where invited users can meet and talk to each other while looking at each other's faces at any time, even if the host is away or busy on another call. The code and further details are available on Jami's website.

And if you want more control over users? Well, Jami offers Jami Account Management Server (JAMS) - letting you take advantage of the distributed network architecture and giving administrators the ability to create and manage users and groups, connect to an LDAP server or Active Directory service, and control permissions. Sounds pretty high-tech, yes, but it has its uses!

Linphone

Last on the list… Looking for an open-source VoIP project for smartphones, tablets, and desktops? Look no further than Linphone. Here, we've got high-definition video and audio calling capabilities, group chat, instant messaging, and file sharing. Remote configuration and account creation are available via URL or QR code.

And the Flexisip server software can be hosted locally or in the cloud and is interoperable with most PBX and SIP servers, including any SIP VoIP operator. Employees can use Linphone via the web, desktop apps for Windows, macOS, GNU/Linux, and mobile apps for iOS and Android - again, we've got choices galore to maximize the usefulness!

Belledonne Communications supports the Linphone project, providing development assistance, custom software development, and customer support services. The Linphone website provides licensing options and further details, and you can get the code from GitHub.