Ekiga: Free VoIP and Video Conferencing for GNOME and Windows

Key features

• Support for the SIP signaling protocol and H.323 (via OpenH323), enabling calls to and from many other VoIP clients and services.
• Integrated audio and video calling with configurable devices, a contact list, call history and a dialing/presence interface suitable for desktop use.
• Compatibility with common open codecs for good call quality and bandwidth flexibility, and support for multiple simultaneous calls and basic call control features such as hold and transfer.
• Address book and presence integration to manage contacts and see availability information.

Protocols, codecs and compatibility

Ekiga implements SIP as its primary signaling protocol and includes H.323 support through OpenH323 libraries, which historically allowed it to interoperate with Microsoft NetMeeting and other H.323 endpoints. Because it follows open standards, Ekiga can register with SIP providers, corporate SIP servers or PBX systems and can place calls to users of other SIP-compliant clients. The application supports a range of widely used audio and video codecs, including several open-source codecs, to balance call quality and network usage.

History and development

Ekiga began life under the name GnomeMeeting, created by Damien Sandras as a student project at the Université catholique de Louvain. It was later renamed to Ekiga and grew into a community-maintained project led by Sandras and other contributors. The visual identity and logo were developed in collaboration with volunteers; the original concept for the logo came from Andreas Kwiatkowski. Over time the project has been packaged for many Linux distributions and made available to Windows users as well.

Uses, audience and examples

Ekiga is used by individuals and small organisations that need a desktop client for SIP-based telephony and video calling without relying on proprietary platforms. Typical uses include calling SIP-based VoIP providers, connecting to soft PBX systems, and setting up direct video calls between desktop users. Its open-source nature makes it suitable for testing, development and integration into GNOME-centric environments.

Notable distinctions and considerations

• Formerly known as GnomeMeeting, Ekiga is notable for its early adoption of both SIP and H.323 in a single free client.
• Its cross-platform availability (GNOME/Linux and Windows) and standards-based approach give it broad interoperability with other clients and services.
• As with any desktop VoIP client, practical deployment requires attention to network configuration, NAT traversal and codec selection to achieve reliable audio and video quality.

For the official project homepage and downloads see the project website: Ekiga project. For information on Windows support and packaging, consult the Windows distribution notes: Windows support. Notes on interoperability with legacy H.323 services and Microsoft NetMeeting are available from interoperability guides: H.323 and NetMeeting compatibility.