A major milestone for Matrix in German healthcare.
We are thrilled to launch our first TI-Messenger compliant edition of Element Server Suite built specifically to suit gematikâs TI-Messenger solution for German healthcare. This edition marks a significant milestone in our advancements in compliance, scalability and usability for nation-scale Matrix deployments.
What is significant about this edition of ESS
Designed to meet the needs of Germany's healthcare market, the TI-Messenger edition of ESS complies with the latest versions of both the TI-Messenger Pro and ePA Fachdienst specifications, the most recent TI-Messenger backend specifications by gematik. This new edition of ESS enables our healthcare partners to provide a secure and scalable backend in this new market. The âTI Messenger Proâ specifications enable secure, interoperable communication between healthcare providers, institutions and health insurers while the âTI Messenger ePAâ (which stands for elektronische Patientenakte a.k.a. Electronic Patient Record) specifications are for insured people to enable them to communicate with doctors, their health insurance and potentially other institutions.
Our new feature-rich and fully compliant backend solution sets the stage for our healthcare partners to ensure their end-to-end communication products (i.e. front and backend) are ready for certification and available ahead of the July 2025 deadline set by gematik. This is the date when their products must be available to end users (i.e. healthcare employees and patients).
At the core of our backend solution is Synapse Pro, the next-gen enterprise Matrix homeserver delivers phenomenal efficiencies for large-scale deployments. It achieves these efficiencies through optimisations such as elastic horizontal scaling and resource-sharing. Synapse Pro not only enables us to support nation-scale deployments, it also means we can use the revenue it generates to fund the open source Synapse development for the benefit of the wider Matrix ecosystem. Learn more about Synapse Proâs capabilities in this blog post.
A first time for everything
The TI-Messenger edition of ESS represents some significant firsts that showcase our commitment to continuous innovation:
Compliance with TI-Messenger Pro and ePA specifications
This is the first release to fully meet the latest TI-Messenger Pro and ePA specifications. Achieving this level of compliance is an important step as it ensures our solution aligns with gematikâs standards for healthcare professionals and electronic patient records.
Introduction of a Helm chart-based deployment stack
For the first time, we are shipping our new Helm chart-based stack as the principal deployment method for one of our flagship products. Feedback from IT administrators made it clear: Helm charts provide the quickest and simplest way to deploy a server. This new stack also serves as the foundation for upcoming community and enterprise editions of ESS.
Inclusion of Synapse Pro, SBG and FLS
This is the first time weâve built a number of our components in to meet a specific industryâs compliance requirements, these include Synapse Pro, Secure Border Gateways and Federation List Service (for details see below).
Curing tomorrowâs ailments today
Weâre enabling IT service providers to deliver compliant and cost-effective solutions to their customers including hospitals, pharmacies and insurance providers. A dependable foundation is critical therefore, going forward, we are committed to maintaining compliance with all current and future versions of the TI-Messenger specifications.
This version of ESS is also shipped with Long Term Support (LTS) meaning as well as compliance, partners get stability, reliability and security over an extended period (6 month release cycles). This is well suited to software that processes special categories of personal information and, as a result, is subject to especially stringent data protection regulations. LTS also provides the inherent benefit of predictable update cycles meaning IT departments can plan their work and avoid unexpected disruptions.
Additionally, all the underlying components (especially Synapse) come with long term support. This is particularly important in the gematik market, where any changes beyond bug fixes or security patches can trigger re-certification requirements for vendors. This poses a significant risk, which our customers avoid thanks to LTS.
With this healthcare edition of ESS, our customers also get Advance Security Advisory (ASA), pre-disclosure access to critical security updates, providing the opportunity to prepare their systems ahead of time - something especially valuable in highly regulated environments like healthcare.
Our customers are also protected from any risks associated with the AGPL license of Synapse. We provide a commercial license as part of ESS, ensuring compliance and eliminating legal uncertainty.
The team here at Element is also the team who created Matrix, therefore ESS benefits from an unparalleled depth of expertise in terms of delivering the most advanced enterprise backend for Matrix deployments. Weâve been involved in almost all of the major public sector Matrix deployments (e.g. France, Germany, the US, the UK, Sweden, as well as NATO and the UN). We offer expertise you canât find elsewhere.
Weâve created a reliable backbone to support Germanyâs secure healthcare communication infrastructure. What Germany is doing right now will be copied by other countries around the world in the coming years.
Take a closer look
Our TI-Messenger solution provides a fully compliant turnkey backend that is available out of the box. Delivered via Helm charts, deployment is simple. Powered by Synapse Pro, scalability is at your fingertips. In other words, our partners use our solution to give them peace of mind while they focus on delivering the best experience to their customers.
A key benefit of our Helm-based approach is the simplicity it offers. Administrators configure a single switch to determine whether the deployment will be for TI-Messenger Pro or TI-Messenger ePA. This automatically applies all the required settings to meet gematikâs specifications. Customers can still customise their deployments where needed, but this out-of-the-box readiness means compliance is only one switch away.
Itâs important to note that gematikâs requirements include a full-stack solution (e.g. mobile and web clients as well as a backend solution) which means TI-M ESS is one part within a larger ecosystem. However, our backend integrates seamlessly into any such components and provides key features that are fundamental to any TI-Messenger certified solution including:
The Matrix homeserver (Synapse Pro)
As the enterprise-grade Matrix homeserver, Synapse Pro offers unparalleled elastic scalability and cost efficiency, able to handle nation-scale deployments like those required in German healthcare. You can learn more about how Synapse Pro scales to millions of users in this blog post.
The TI-Messenger Proxy (Secure Border Gateway)
SBGs enable us to meet the requirements of the TI-Messenger Proxy. This is the means through which the specification permits certain types of communication between different parties, controlling who can communicate with each other. SBGs are an integral part of the system without which the information governance rules wouldnât be enforceable.
The Registration Service (Federation List Service)
Our Federation List Service interfaces with the FHIR-based directory of certified domains, enabling precise control over the domains able to participate in the network and ensuring communication flows between only permitted healthcare entities. This feature is indispensable for maintaining the integrity and security of communications while supporting the exchange of patient records and other critical information.
Prescribing the antidote
Healthcare professionals who use a solution offered by one of our partners, and powered by our TI-M compliant version of ESS, can be confident their communications are secure. Being the trusted backend for TI-Messenger healthcare solutions is the result of a huge combined effort between our team and our partners. As we set off on this journey together, weâre developing the antidote to fragmented, insecure communication across healthcare, and laying the groundwork for a safer and healthier future for everyone.
To find out more about TI-Messenger visit our website or get in touch.
