GNU Ring

If you are aware of how smooth communication can impact not only your social life but also your career prospects, you know you must not compromise as far as the tools you employ for this purpose.

If you in search of a software utility that works both as a chat tool and a teleconferencing app, GNU Ring could be a product that might catch your attention, especially considering that it comes with zero costs, what with its open-source license.

First off, it should be pointed out that the program is all about ease of use, even though it also puts considerable emphasis on security. Creating an account is easy as pie, and connecting with friends, family, or colleagues is possible in just a couple of seconds.

Its ready-to-use GUI lets you exchange messages with other users, and if you own a webcam and a microphone, your interaction can be complemented by video and sound as well. Configuring your account in a way that allows or blocks calls and messages from incognito contacts is possible, and setting up an auto-reply is an option if you are away from the computer and want users getting in touch with you to know it. Banning contacts is possible in case you no longer want to get in touch with them.

As regard privacy, you may want to know that GNU Ring encrypts your communications, and your data is accessible only from the computer you are currently using the program. Moreover, protocols such as DHT Kademlia, SIP, and TLS are supported.

All things considered, GNU Ring is a promising communication system that tries to offer a secure and intuitive means of getting in touch with other people via chat or video calls. It does not support file transfer, you cannot use emoticons, and the overall amount of customizations you have access to is rather limited, but on the bright side, the project is still under development, and further enhancements could be brought about by updates.