Element

Element is a secure communications platform for messaging, desktop collaboration, voice and video, built on the Matrix open standard rather than a proprietary protocol. Teams can use the hosted app or run their own deployment through Element Server Suite, a professionalised Matrix server distribution used to host any Matrix-based solution; Element also offers install and support for air-gapped and isolated instances with no internet connectivity. Because it speaks Matrix, an Element deployment federates with other Matrix-based systems run by other vendors or organisations.

The company reports more than 200 million users, over 100,000 deployments, and largest public and commercial deployments of 60 million and 800,000. Messaging and calls are end-to-end encrypted, and the platform supports air-gapped, low-bandwidth, mesh and satellite connectivity. Public-sector deployments named on its site include Tchap for the French government, BwMessenger for the German Armed Forces with BWI, TI-Messenger, which the German healthcare agency Gematik mandated on Matrix, and recommendations for Matrix-based communications in the Swedish public sector through the dSam project and eSam programme. It is also used for mission-partner and coalition environments under Federated Mission Networking.

Element is a European company: Element Creations Limited in the UK is the headquarters, with Element Software GmbH in Germany, Element Software SARL in France and Element Software Inc in the United States, so national governments can be served by a local entity. The company is led by the team that created Matrix in 2014, and Matrix itself is governed by the non-profit Matrix.org Foundation; Element states that it has contributed more than 90% of key server components and SDKs to the project.