Messages Server

[jsavvy]

I'm looking to run my own messaging server and it seems that the messaging server has many of the features built in and ready to use. The Apple site says that it can do file transfers, group messages, and audio conferences, and can broadcast media. Does this do video chat (like FaceTime) and/or conferencing? If anyone is running this service I'd be interested in knowing how you think it performs and what you like best/least about it. Thanks!

 

[DJLC]

I've never used that service, but being that nobody has replied I'll chime in...

AFAIK, it's just a standard Jabber / XMPP service. I think it did support video chat back in the iChat days, so I'd imagine it still does. Unfortunately it seems you'll have to just test it and find out. If it does, you should be able to do video chat with a maximum of 4 participants and an audio chat with a maximum of 10 participants. Or at least that's how it was years ago. It can do file transfers as well. And screen sharing I think in the video chats.

That being said, it's becoming increasingly rare for businesses to run their own chat / email servers. You'd likely be better served using something like Google Apps.

 

[jsavvy]

Thanks for the reply. It definitely is a standard XMPP service. We've been running ejabberd and were curious if this would be easier to maintain. While it's true that most places don't run their own chat services, the goal is to keep the contents of the chats in house. Thanks again.

 

[DJLC]

Just taking a stab in the dark here, but if you have another XMPP implementation working it's probably going to be a wash between the two. While the OS X GUI may make things a little easier, you also end up having to handle OS X Server which in my experience is always a mess.

 

[Geeky Chimp]

Messages Service on OS X Server will do what you are looking for. Its a simple setup within Server App and probably also worth enabling AutoBuddies from the Terminal. If you need access to your Messages Server theres quite a few TCP and UDP to open up on your Router/Firewall.

PS. We've replaced all of our Windows Servers with Macs running OS X Server and find OS X Server much less of a mess than Windows Servers