Element X, Call and Server Suite are production ready

Element is launching the world’s first communications platform based on the upcoming Matrix 2.0 release. The result is blazing performance which outperforms the mainstream alternatives - across a decentralised system that enables self-hosting and end-to-end encryption - as well as open standard interoperability to revolutionise real time communication between large organisations.

Built on Matrix 2.0, Element X now rivals the performance of centralised consumer messaging apps, empowering organisations to address the shadow IT issues caused by consumer-grade messaging apps in the workplace.

The new Element communications solution consists:

• Element X, our next-gen app with an array of new features
• Element Call fully integrated into Element X, for native Matrix-encrypted voice and video
• Element Server Suite, our backend hosting solution for powerful admin control and Matrix 2.0 performance

The combination of our new app and server suite creates a complete solution with our customers firmly positioned in the centre. Now, let's explore…

Element X is production ready

Making chat fast and beautiful

Element X is so intuitive that users say “it just works.” Experience the leap forward with an app for yourself by downloading it from Apple’s App Store or Google’s Play Store. It’s 20,000 times faster and smoother than its predecessor. With instant login, launch and sync, Element X is the embodiment of simplicity and speed.

We’ve completely rewritten the app in Rust, leveraging its performance and safety features to deliver a faster, more reliable experience.

In addition to UX finesse, the new experience is driven by the latest Simplified Sliding Sync API (aka SSS) which provides a step-change in responsiveness and makes Element X usable instantly from the moment you open the app. More about that in the ESS section below.

Our UX is now built entirely on the very latest platform UI toolkits (SwiftUI and Jetpack Compose) guided by Compound, our unified design system, ensuring a cohesive and elegant user experience. This shift to a product-led development model marks a significant departure from the past incarnations of Element.

Seamless and secure video conferencing

Element Call, once only a standalone app, is now also natively integrated into Element X and Element Web/Desktop, and enabled by default. You can conduct 1:1 or group video calls directly within the app or through a web browser (call.element.io). This level of integration means that group VoIP in Matrix finally benefits from all of Matrix’s native end-to-end encryption, cryptographic identity and decentralisation - no longer handing over to a third-party system such as Jitsi which doesn’t integrate with Matrix’s encryption guarantees.  This also simplifies your software ecosystem, enhancing operational security. The addition of beautiful platform-native picture-in-picture (PIP) mode allows you to multitask without disrupting your calls. And we've enhanced the interface to improve user satisfaction and support easy adoption.

Invisible cryptography

Element X is on a mission to make end-to-end encryption virtually invisible to users. Features like QR login mean that users can now log in using the same familiar pattern from consumer messaging apps without complicated verification or recovery flows, or even knowing which server they’re connecting to!

Meanwhile huge amounts of work has gone into improving encryption stability and reliability - Element X provides a step change forwards in reliable encryption thanks to the underlying matrix-rust-sdk and native-rust audited vodozemac implementation.

Finally, cryptographic warnings are being eliminated.  Historically, as end-to-end encryption was rolled out throughout Matrix, not all apps verified the identity of their users, triggering confusing and unactionable warnings to users.  We are now shifting towards only letting devices whose ownership has been verified by their owner participate in conversations, killing those warnings - as well as other underlying protocol changes to eliminate warnings.

We’ve also improved key backups and reset features making it easier to manage encryption keys. This enhances business continuity by safeguarding encryption keys and reducing the risk of data loss due to key mismanagement (i.e. DLP protections) - and fewer personal data breaches as a result because of the reduced chances of loss of availability.

In essence we’re refined our verification processes to balance security with user experience to enable communication while maintaining the highest operational security standards. And, native E2EE for voice and video (through the Element Call integration mentioned above) ensures that Matrix’s encryption guarantees now extend to video conferencing.

Messaging that works for you

With automatic draft saving, your messages are preserved even if you’re interrupted. If a message fails to send due to connectivity issues, Element X now automatically resends it without manual intervention. We’ve also enhanced the rich text editor (i.e. the message composer window) improving stability and boosting efficiency for organisations who are used to formatting toolbars.

Element Server Suite for Matrix 2.0 performance

The server powerhouse

At the core of our communications ecosystem lies Element Server Suite (ESS), an enterprise-grade platform engineered to deliver secure communications at scale both internally and cross-org. With regular monthly releases and Long-Term Support (LTS) releases every six months, ESS is a robust solution tailored for large public sector deployments.

To accommodate diverse operational needs, we offer both Kubernetes Operators and Helm charts for deployment. This allows organisations to choose what best fits their IT infrastructure, ensuring smooth integration into their existing systems.

ESS also offers an app store of over 20 modules enabling administrators to further customise their deployment with a range of out-of-the-box integrations from monitoring applications to various bridges.

Streamlined authentication

By embracing Native OpenID Connect (OIDC) for authentication we've made it easier for organisations to integrate their existing identity management system, while radically improving the security of authentication by leveraging the combined might of the OpenID ecosystem. This drastically reduces setup complexity. For new deployments, Matrix Authentication Service (MAS) is now production-ready and integrated into ESS. MAS operates in standalone mode by default, eliminating the need for an upstream identity provider. It also supports upstream OIDC and LDAP providers, ensuring integration with your existing IT infrastructure. All of this ensures IT teams spend less time setting up their authentication processes.

Server-side synchronisation

We’ve already mentioned the effect the new Simplified Sliding Sync API has on the responsiveness of Element X. It’s worth also stating that this can’t happen without the necessary backend support for SSS. We’ve built an out-of-the-box module that facilitates instant updates and smoother user experience and makes it easier for administrators to integrate. It removes the need for previously required proxies and offers faster, more reliable syncing. From this release of ESS (24.09) onwards our server (Synapse) will come with SSS as standard.

Secure compliance

Encryption isn’t the only thing safeguarding your information, we’ve built advanced tools for auditing which preserve E2EE while ensuring organisations have corporate oversight and control as required. This is especially valuable in heavily regulated industries. We’ve also built server-side gateway modules that inspect network traffic, enforce DLP policies and provide an extra layer of security at your perimeter. Fewer data breaches. Greater information assurance.

The complete Matrix 2.0 solution

Combining the usability of Element X with the power of ESS gives you the ultimate sovereign and secure communications solution. Whether it’s sovereign collaboration between nations and large enterprises, or simply organisations that prioritise security and sovereignty, Element is ready to meet our customers' needs today and into the future.

Created by the founders of Matrix, Element continues to contribute extensively to the Matrix protocol, releasing the vast majority of our work as free and open-source software (FOSS) under the AGPLv3 licence. Our Element X and ESS offerings are available now, built specifically to support large-scale organisational deployments, with our commercial deployments exempt from AGPL restrictions.

Element promises a whole new level of secure, efficient and fluid communication. Whether you’re an early adopter or you’re new to Matrix, now is the time to give Matrix and Element X a go at scale. It delivers on all fronts: speed and security, as well as a user experience that sparks joy.

Join us in experiencing the future of secure communications.