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Jitsi Architecture for Enterprises: Scaling Secure Video Meetings

10 min Avkash Kakdiya

Video meetings are now a must for companies, big or small. Businesses need solutions that grow with them, keep user data safe, and match their brand style. Jitsi architecture does that—it’s an open-source platform built for flexibility and security. Whether you’re a dev just starting out, a business owner figuring out what’s possible, or an agency reselling white-label video tools, this guide will break down the essentials of setting up Jitsi at scale.

Here, we’ll look at Jitsi’s architecture—covering the APIs, UI parts, branding options, customization examples, and useful resources. This should give you a solid, practical sense of what you need for enterprise-level distributed Jitsi servers.

1. API Overview

Jitsi’s architecture rests on a powerful API ecosystem. These APIs let your apps start, manage, and control video calls with ease. They make it possible to tweak features and plug Jitsi into your own workflows.

The main API options for businesses are:

  • lib-jitsi-meet: A low-level JavaScript library that gives you direct access to Jitsi’s core functions. Perfect if you want to build your own video client.
  • iframe API: A simpler API that lets you embed a full Jitsi meeting interface inside an iframe, customizable through basic options.

How the API Works in Jitsi

Backend parts like Jitsi Videobridge (JVB), Jicofo (conference focus), and Prosody (XMPP server) handle the heavy lifting—media routing, signaling, and auth. The API serves as the middleman between your UI and those backend services.

For companies, the API allows:

  • Creating and managing meeting rooms dynamically: Make secure spaces tied to company workflows on the fly.
  • Real-time control over users: Mute people, record meetings, or change video layouts through code.
  • Connecting with enterprise identity providers: Use Single Sign-On or LDAP for secure logins.
  • Handling large calls smoothly: Using APIs with distributed servers lets you scale without a hiccup.

Real-world example: A mid-sized online school used lib-jitsi-meet to build a custom frontend tied to their learning platform. This setup let them control the user experience tightly while their backend servers handled thousands of users daily.


2. UI Elements

The UI is key for how people experience video meetings. The default Jitsi Meet UI is clean and functional—good enough for most. But businesses often need custom UIs that reflect their branding, simplify workflows, or add their own features.

Main UI parts in Jitsi Meet:

  • Video grid and layout: Displays participant video streams; can switch between tile, presenter, or focus views.
  • Toolbar: Controls for muting, video, screen sharing, chat, participants, and recordings.
  • Chat panel: A sidebar for messaging during calls.
  • Invite dialog: Lets users add others via links or email.
  • Settings menu: Choose audio/video devices, adjust bandwidth, and other preferences.

Customizing the UI

Jitsi’s frontend is built with React, which makes it easy to:

  • Hide or show buttons.
  • Change labels or tooltips.
  • Add new panels or dialogs.

For example, agencies reselling Jitsi often remove or swap out the default Jitsi logo and chat to rebrand the toolbar and dialogs fully.

UI in large-scale setups

When you run distributed servers, the UI can auto-connect users to the nearest JVB server for best performance. This uses smart load balancing in the frontend logic to pick the right endpoint.

Example: A financial firm customized the UI to focus on participant security—turning off chat and adding strict meeting locks. Their UI connects smoothly to distributed Jitsi servers across different regions, cutting latency for remote offices.


3. Branding Options

Branding matters to companies and agencies who want a consistent look in every app that users see.

Jitsi offers these branding options:

  • White-labeling: Swap out Jitsi’s logos and icons with your own.
  • Color theming: Change primary and secondary colors to match your style.
  • Custom domain and SSL: Host Jitsi on your domain with proper SSL for security and trust.
  • Custom welcome page: Add logos, messages, or disclaimers on meeting entry screens.
  • Localized UI: Translate the interface for different languages.

How to Brand

The easiest way is to fork the official Jitsi Meet repo and tweak assets and styles. More advanced setups use plugins or extensions that hook into the UI rendering.

For agencies offering video tools to clients, branding helps build trust and a clear identity.

Why it matters: Branding plus secure hosting makes users feel meetings are private and trusted—really important for industries like healthcare or finance.


4. Example Customizations

Customizing Jitsi means mixing backend setup, API controls, and UI tweaks. Here are some practical examples for businesses:

a. Multi-region distributed servers

To serve thousands worldwide, you deploy Jitsi servers across data centers. Use global load balancing or DNS routing so users connect to the closest server.

You run JVB and Jicofo in clusters with shared configs stored centrally or managed through consistent hashing. This cuts bandwidth and lowers latency.

Case study: An international company held board meetings by running distributed Jitsi servers in Europe, North America, and Asia. Their JVB clusters and TURN servers kept calls stable, even behind firewalls.

b. Custom authentication flow

By default, Jitsi lets guests join via a link. But companies often want stricter security with OAuth, LDAP, or SSO.

This happens by putting an auth proxy in front of Prosody or enabling JWT tokens. The API and UI can require login before entering a call.

c. Role-based UI

You can adjust the UI based on user roles:

  • Presenters get screen sharing and recording.
  • Viewers only watch and chat.
  • Moderators manage participant permissions.

You do this by adding logic to the client API that changes UI elements based on info from your backend.


5. Resources

Starting with Jitsi architecture gets easier with the right tools. Here are some key places to check out:


Conclusion

Getting Jitsi architecture right is key if you want secure, scalable video conferencing. The API layer lets you build custom workflows, flexible UI parts adapt to your needs, and branding keeps the experience consistent.

Distributed servers at scale reduce lag and improve reliability—essential as remote work grows. Examples like cross-region setups or custom login flows show Jitsi can handle complex demands.

If you’re building or improving your video solution, start playing with the APIs and UI parts. Use official docs to guide you, and think about branding to keep your look solid.


Ready to scale your video meetings with a secure, customizable Jitsi architecture?
Check out official Jitsi resources, embed the iframe API in your app, or tweak your UI for branded calls. For help, reach out to developers experienced with large Jitsi deployments.


About the Author:
Avkash Kakdiya is a software architect focused on video conferencing and open-source communication. With years of experience building scalable video solutions, he helps businesses set up secure and flexible conferencing systems.

Frequently Asked Questions

Jitsi architecture is the system design and components that let Jitsi deliver scalable, secure, and flexible video conferencing.

To scale Jitsi, you deploy distributed servers, use load balancing, and run components like JVB and Jicofo across several nodes.

Jitsi lets you white-label through UI tweaks, theming, and by adding your company logo and colors.

Yes, they offer end-to-end encryption, support authentication, and can be set up to meet compliance and privacy needs.

Official docs, community forums, GitHub repos, and tutorials provide practical info and examples.

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