Savoir-faire Linux
A Montreal-based Canadian company associated with open-source software development and information-technology services.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Savoir-faire Linux is a Canadian information-technology company based in Montreal, Quebec, with a focus on open-source software and related IT services. Public reference material identifies the company as the originator of the SFLPhone project, a telecommunications application that later evolved through the names SFLphone, Ring, and Jami. This connection places Savoir-faire Linux within the open-source communications and software-development ecosystem, in addition to its broader role as an IT-services provider. The company's most clearly documented software contribution is SFLPhone, launched in December 2004. The project was developed as an open-source voice-over-IP application and subsequently attracted attention in the open-source communications community. In 2009, CIO magazine included SFLphone among five open-source VoIP softphones to watch. In May 2015, the project was renamed Ring, reflecting its evolution beyond its original SFLPhone identity. In December 2018, it was renamed Jami to reduce confusion with other commercial products using the word “Ring.” Jami is a free and open-source telecommunications platform distributed under the GNU General Public License version 3 or later. It supports peer-to-peer and distributed communications, including voice calls, video calls, instant messaging, and multi-party audio and video conferencing. The platform is designed to operate without a conventional central communications server, apart from a centralized name service, and can also be used on local networks without an internet connection. Its documented capabilities include end-to-end encryption for voice, video, and chat, SIP compatibility, OpenDHT support, and call recording. Usernames are stored through a centrally administered private Ethereum blockchain. The available reference material does not establish a founding year for Savoir-faire Linux, identify its founders, provide ownership information, or document a public listing. It also does not provide a detailed account of the company's complete service portfolio, international office network, revenue, employee count, or current executive team. Accordingly, this entry treats the company primarily as a Montreal-based open-source and IT-services brand, while documenting Jami as its best-supported flagship software association. In 2025, Jami was cited by TechRadar as an alternative to Skype after Skype's discontinuation, giving the project renewed relevance in the consumer and open-source communications landscape.
History
Savoir-faire Linux is a Montreal-based Canadian company working in open-source software and information technology. The available reference material provides limited corporate history, but it documents a significant software project initiated by the company: SFLPhone, an open-source telecommunications application launched in December 2004. SFLPhone emerged as a voice-over-IP project and became the foundation for a broader communications platform. Its development placed Savoir-faire Linux in the open-source telephony field, where software projects sought to provide alternatives to proprietary calling and collaboration systems. By November 2009, CIO magazine had identified SFLphone as one of five open-source VoIP softphones to watch, indicating that the project had gained visibility beyond its originating company and developer community. In May 2015, SFLphone was renamed Ring. The change reflected the project's development beyond its initial softphone identity and gave it a broader communications-oriented name. Ring was subsequently renamed Jami in December 2018. The latter change was made to prevent confusion with commercial products that also used the English word “Ring.” Under the Jami name, the project continued as free and open-source software under the GNU GPL version 3 or later. Jami is described as a peer-to-peer and distributed platform for voice, video, messaging, and conferencing. Unlike conventional centralized communications services, it is designed to function without a central server, except for a centralized name-server component. It can also operate on local networks without an internet connection. Documented features include encrypted chat, voice and video communications, SIP compatibility, OpenDHT support, instant messaging, call recording, and multi-party audio and video conferencing. The project also uses a centrally administered private Ethereum blockchain for username storage. The software's documented history illustrates Savoir-faire Linux's role as an open-source project sponsor and developer, but the available sources do not supply a full chronology of the company's broader consulting and IT-services activities. No reliable information is provided here about the company's founders, incorporation date, ownership structure, executives, revenue, listing status, or geographic expansion. The company should therefore be understood as an active Montreal-based IT and open-source software brand, with Jami representing its most extensively documented public-facing software project. In 2025, Jami received renewed attention when TechRadar identified it as one possible alternative to Skype after Skype was discontinued. This positioned the project within a new wave of interest in independent, open-source, and privacy-oriented communications tools, although the available material does not establish any corresponding change in Savoir-faire Linux's corporate structure or strategy.
- 2025
Jami cited as a Skype alternative
[1]TechRadar listed Jami as an alternative to Skype after Skype's discontinuation.
- 2018
Ring becomes Jami
[1]The project adopted the Jami name to avoid confusion with other commercial products called Ring.
- 2015
SFLphone becomes Ring
[1]The project was renamed Ring as its communications capabilities and public identity developed.
- 2009
SFLphone gains industry visibility
[1]CIO magazine named SFLphone among five open-source VoIP softphones to watch.
- 2004
SFLPhone project launched
[1]Savoir-faire Linux launched SFLPhone, an open-source telecommunications and VoIP project that later evolved into Jami.
Products and positioning
An open-source technology and IT-services brand with a documented specialization in distributed, privacy-oriented communications software.
Open-source telecommunications and collaboration software · 2018
Jami
Jami is a free and open-source communications platform developed from the SFLPhone and Ring projects. It supports peer-to-peer voice and video calls, instant messaging, call recording, and multi-party audio and video conferencing. The platform uses a distributed architecture rather than relying on a conventional central communications server, while retaining a centralized name-server component. It supports end-to-end encryption for chat, voice, and video, along with SIP compatibility and OpenDHT. Jami can also operate on local networks without an internet connection.
Open-source VoIP softphone · 2004
SFLPhone
SFLPhone was the open-source telecommunications project launched by Savoir-faire Linux in December 2004. It began as a VoIP softphone and later developed into the broader Ring project before ultimately being renamed Jami. The software's recognition by CIO magazine in 2009 helped establish it as a notable open-source alternative in the VoIP category.
Open-source communications platform · 2015
Ring
Ring was the name used by the SFLPhone project from May 2015 until December 2018. During this period, the project expanded its identity from a conventional softphone toward a distributed platform for voice, video, messaging, and conferencing. It was later renamed Jami to avoid confusion with commercial products using the Ring name.
Brand decisions
2018
Rename Ring to JamiGeneration changeBackground
The Ring name risked confusion with commercial products that used the same English term.
Action taken
The project was renamed Jami in December 2018.
Aftermath
Jami became the continuing name of the open-source distributed communications platform.
2015
Rename SFLphone to RingGeneration changeBackground
The original SFLPhone project had developed beyond its initial softphone identity and required a broader public-facing name.
Action taken
Savoir-faire Linux renamed the project Ring in May 2015.
Aftermath
Ring became the project's public identity until a further name change to Jami in 2018.
Recent events
- 2025
Jami highlighted as a Skype alternative[1]
Other
TechRadar listed Jami among alternatives to Skype following Skype's discontinuation.
- 2018
Ring renamed Jami[1]
Product generation
The project changed its name from Ring to Jami to avoid confusion with commercial products that also used the term Ring.
- 2015
SFLphone renamed Ring[1]
Product generation
The SFLphone project adopted the Ring name as its software identity evolved.
- 2009
SFLphone recognized among open-source VoIP softphones to watch[1]
Other
CIO magazine included SFLphone in a list of five open-source VoIP softphones worth watching.
- 2004
SFLPhone project launched[1]
Product launch
Savoir-faire Linux launched the SFLPhone open-source telecommunications project, which later developed into Ring and then Jami.
Sources2 sources
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