Startalk - Solution for Instant Message

Communication is a fundamental need of humankind. – “Sapiens: A brief history of humankind”

Startalk is going to be a universal, high-performance IM software for business. Currently, there is a lack of open-sourced IM systems in the world. Startalk is changing this situation.

The predecessor of Startalk is Qtalk, which have ran smoothly in Qunar for more than 3 years. The core of Startalk plays a role of customer service tool in Qunar.

In other words, a single core has solved Qunar’s problem of communication internally and externally.

Application Scenarios

OA
Customer service system for business
First-party SDKs for multiple IM situations

Characteristics of Startalk

Open-sourced

We are transferring our focus from git of our company to Github, aiming to provide you services that are stable and long-lasting.

Private deployment is highly recommended

Private deployment is the need for businesses. Taking efficient communication and expansibility as basics, we try our best to help enterprises.

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How to Use

Startalk focuses on private deployment, which leads to the complexity of the log-in process of Startalk. Luckily, our team not only made the process of designing IM system easy, but also decrease the cost of it.

Usually, when you are going to use an app, there are three steps for you to get access to it:

Download the app
Modify settings based on guide
Sign-up & Log-in

However, since Startalk focuses on private deployment, the server of app needs to be deployed in your company. Therefore, there are four steps for you to get access to Startalk:

Download the app
Deploy the backstage system
Modify client app through backstage configuration
Import accounts & Log-in

If you want to try private deployment without cost, you can try it in public domain

If you have decided to use private deployment or transfer your data from public to private domain.. Let’s begin!

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Requirements for the Environment of Deployment

Back-end server centos 7 (allows Ubuntu and various kinds of private cloud in the future)
IOS SDK, minimum requirement: IOS 9
Android SDK, minimum requirement of API: 16
Compiled Android SDK, minimum requirement of API: 26
Windows 1.0 windows vs2012 qt 5.2.1
PC 2.0 include three platforms: Windows, Mac, and Linux; minimum requirement of qt: 5.9; minimum requirement of Cmake: 3.12
Web recommended environment of deployment: node 8.6.0 npm 5.3.0 (node@>=7.6.0; npm@>=3.0.0; pm2@>=2.0.0)
Other platforms can use C++14 to compile. Interface is qt.

---------Let’s test it!!!!!---------

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Start

Ejabberd back end source code and introduction
Imsdk-android source code and introduction
Imsdk-iOS source code and introduction
Windows 1.0 source code and introduction
PC 2.0 source code and introduction
Web source code and introduction

If you want to start quickly, please enter our official website to sign up an account for test in public domain

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How to Integrate Your Own App in Startalk

Startalk allows users to redevelop it to integrate their own app in Startalk, in order to achieve customization. Startalk Pro provides backstage for you to upload app; after deployment, you can embed your app (RN or H5) through backstage configuration.More information

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Official Website

For different customers, we have different solutions. If you are interested, please see our official website.

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Characteristics of the System

Focus on user experience and data security
Allows end-to-end encryption. Use TLS connection, completely binary protocol
Allows all types of messages: text, emoji, file, audio, video, photo, location, red packet, code, etc.
Allows access to all platforms
Decentralized design. Allow private cloud or public cloud deployment.

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Include the functions below:

DM and group chat
Search
Push
Audio and video chat
Red packet and split bill
Encrypted conversation
Organization structure
OA for business

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Decentralized Design and the Way of Deployment

Separations between each domain
Users are connected to domains
Domain can be enlarged horizontally
Public can be used by multiple domains

The design of Startalk is decentralized, which integrated non-state service into public and state service into domains.

As long as you have a server, you can deploy an IM system in your home!!

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Back-end Modules

Startalk includes:

Ejabberd: the core component of IM. It maintains the connection with client app and message routing
Or: the load balancing component of IM. It verifies the identity of client app and forwards the request from http to the corresponding backstage services
Im_http_service: Port service of IM HTTP. It takes charge of searching the data and settings, as well as synchronizing the chat history (a java service based on tomcat).
Qtalk_cowboy (this service will be discarded in the future since all of ports will be move to im_http_service) : port service of IM HTTP It takes charge of searching the data and settings, as well as synchronizing the chat history.
Qfproxy: IM file service. It takes charge of uploading and downloading the file (a java service based on tomcat).
Push_service: Push service in IM. It pushes off-line messages (a java service based on tomcat).
Qtalk_search: It provides the service to search people and groups remotely
Redis: Caching service in IM
Postgresql: database service in IM