Matrix (protocol)

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Matrix

Communication protocol
Purpose	Federated messaging and data synchronization
Developer(s)	The Matrix.org Foundation CIC
Introduction	September 2014; 9 years ago (2014-09)[1][failed verification]
Based on	HTTP, WebRTC
OSI layer	application layer
Port(s)	unknown value
Website	matrix.org

Matrix (sometimes stylized as [matrix]) is an open standard and communication protocol for real-time communication.^[2] It aims to make real-time communication work seamlessly between different service providers, in the way that standard Simple Mail Transfer Protocol email currently does for store-and-forward email service, by allowing users with accounts at one communications service provider to communicate with users of a different service provider via online chat, voice over IP, and videotelephony. It therefore serves a similar purpose to protocols like XMPP, but is not based on any existing communication protocol.

From a technical perspective, it is an application layer communication protocol for federated real-time communication. It provides HTTP APIs and open source reference implementations for securely distributing and persisting messages in JSON format over an open federation of servers.^[3][4] It can integrate with standard web services via WebRTC, facilitating browser-to-browser applications.