XMPP, which stands for Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol, is an open standard communication protocol for instant messaging and presence information. Originally named Jabber, XMPP was created in 1999 and allows near-real-time, extensible XML-based communication between network entities.
Brief history of XMPP
XMPP was originally developed in 1999 by Jeremie Miller as Jabber, an open source instant messaging and presence protocol. The goal was to create an open technology for real-time communication using XML as the base format. In 2011, the protocol was formally renamed XMPP to reflect its growing use outside of instant messaging.
Some key events in XMPP’s history:
- 1999 – Jeremie Miller begins working on Jabber/XMPP as an open source project.
- 2002 – The XMPP Standards Foundation is formed to formalize protocols within XMPP.
- 2004 – Google Talk, one of the first large-scale XMPP-based messaging systems, is launched.
- 2008 – The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) created a working group for XMPP.
- 2011 – The protocol is renamed Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP) to reflect wider usage.
- 2016 – XMPP celebrates 100 million daily active users worldwide.
Over the years, XMPP has evolved from a pure instant messaging protocol to a general platform for exchanging XML data in near real-time. Today, it provides building blocks for many communication applications and services.
Core features of XMPP
XMPP includes a set of core capabilities that enable advanced communication applications:
- Decentralized architecture – There is no central server required. Users connect directly to the servers operated by their chosen providers.
- Presence information – Users can share presence status (online, offline, busy, etc.) and exchange updates.
- Extensibility – Custom functionality can be added through extensions to the core XML streams.
- Federation – Servers can interconnect, enabling users on different systems to communicate.
- Security – Communications can be encrypted using TLS and SASL authentication mechanisms.
- Flexibility – XMPP can be used for messaging, content syndication, collaboration tools, social networking, gaming, IoT, and more.
These capabilities make XMPP a versatile base technology for real-time applications and services.
Current usage of XMPP
Although XMPP is not as widely used today for consumer messaging as it was in the early 2000s, it still sees significant usage in certain areas:
- Business team chat and collaboration – XMPP is used to power team messaging apps such as Cisco Jabber, MongooseIM, and ejabberd.
- Internet of Things – Its decentralized nature makes XMPP suitable for device-to-device communication in IoT.
- Gaming – XMPP enables real-time communication in multiplayer games and virtual worlds.
- Enterprise integration – The protocol connects internal systems and applications using XML streams.
- Web APIs – REST APIs are exposed over XMPP to enable real-time data access.
While consumer messaging has shifted toward HTTP APIs and mobile-first networks like Firebase’s Cloud Messaging, XMPP remains actively used in business contexts and for machine-to-machine communication.
Popular XMPP servers
Some of the most widely used XMPP servers today include:
| XMPP Server | Creator | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Prosody | Prosody Community | General use open source XMPP server |
| ejabberd | ProcessOne | High performance server for large deployments |
| Openfire | Ignite Realtime | Popular open source server with plugin support |
| MongooseIM | Erlang Solutions | Scalable server optimized for large systems |
These open source servers power many of today’s XMPP implementations. Commercial options like Cisco Jabber and Tigase XMPP Server are also popular for enterprise use.
Major companies using XMPP
Although not as widely adopted as HTTP/REST in public APIs, XMPP remains popular within organizations for internal usage:
- WhatsApp – Uses Ejabberd server and XMPP for messaging, control, and data transfer between app instances.
- Google – Google Talk service was based on XMPP. It still uses XMPP for Google Hangouts.
- Cisco – Cisco Jabber, the company’s UC platform, uses XMPP for IM, voice, and video communication.
- Snapchat – Originally built messaging using XMPP before shifting architecture.
- Verizon – Uses XMPP Service Layer for machine-to-machine communication.
Organizations like these appreciate XMPP for its flexibility as a communication middleware layer.
Reasons XMPP has declined for consumer messaging
While still used in enterprise contexts, XMPP has declined in popularity as a basis for consumer messaging applications. There are several reasons:
- No single authoritative network – Unlike centralized networks like ICQ and AIM, XMPP had no central authority ensuring interoperability.
- Open federated networks – The open federated model was more challenging to monetize and analyze for metrics.
- Perceptions of complexity – XMPP was considered too complex compared to simple HTTP APIs.
- Mobile limitations – XMPP was designed for always-on connections and struggled with mobile’s intermittent connectivity.
- Proprietary competition – Closed messaging networks like iMessage, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp gained dominance.
While great for extensibility, XMPP’s flexibility led to fragmentation across implementations. Newer technologies focused on simplifying mobile messaging development.
XMPP vs HTTP APIs
Today, HTTP and RESTful APIs have become more common for messaging applications. Some key differences between the technologies:
| XMPP | HTTP APIs |
|---|---|
| XML streams for constant, stateful connections | Stateless requests and responses |
| Clients connect directly to XMPP servers | Clients connect to centralized API services |
| Built-in support for things like presence and federation | Simpler protocol but more coding for complex apps |
| Extensibility through XMPP extensions | Functionality constrained to what API provides |
| Decentralized and federated architecture | Strict client-server architecture |
In essence, XMPP provides more built-in capabilities while HTTP APIs are simpler. Thus, HTTP tends to be better for constrained mobile apps while XMPP excels at advanced functionality.
The future of XMPP
While XMPP failed to become the standard for consumer messaging, it still maintains an active community developing the protocol for business use cases requiring its advantages:
- New extensions expand XMPP for Internet of Things applications.
- Federation remains a key advantage where decentralized infrastructure is needed.
- The real-time capabilities excel for gaming and virtual worlds.
- Enterprise reliance on XMPP is growing with demand for team chat tools.
Additionally, some large messaging providers like WhatsApp still use XMPP internally. So while it may not be as visible to end-users, XMPP continues to enable real-time communication for hundreds of millions of people across social, gaming, and enterprise applications worldwide.
Conclusion
XMPP ushered in an era of open, federated, and real-time communication. While newer protocols have surpassed it for consumer messaging, XMPP remains a scalable technology for enterprise applications and communication between machines. Companies today leverage it to enable team collaboration tools, integrate internal systems, and build networked products and services. With steady open source development and large existing deployments, XMPP is likely to remain a valuable part of the infrastructure powering modern communication for years to come.