Rocket.Chat 7.0 brings AI, integrated VoIP and an extended Starter plan

In a time when organizations are striving to drive efficiency without compromising on data security, Rocket.Chat remains committed to empowering teams with the tools they need for seamless and secure collaboration. This very commitment shapes our roadmap to help admins and teams achieve peak productivity while safeguarding their data.

We’re thrilled to introduce Rocket.Chat version 7.0, a major release focused on the essential pillars of security, flexibility, stability, and usability:

• Security remains a top priority. Rocket.Chat v7.0 ensures our codebase uses the latest technologies for enhanced security and performance. Our E2EE is now out of beta, allowing you to encrypt files and reset room keys for improved data recovery.
• For organizations considering a transition from Skype for Business, our new VoIP calling in beta allows global teams to connect effortlessly, enabling unified communications within Rocket.Chat. 
• Rocket.Chat AI —  a privacy-first, sovereign AI designed to balance data control and innovation is now out of beta. 
• Lastly, our redesigned sidebar navigation simplifies managing daily channels and discussion — providing a clutter-free and intuitive experience.

With these enhancements, Rocket.Chat 7.0 sets a new standard for secure, efficient, and user-friendly collaboration. Continue reading to learn more. 

Enhancing team connectivity with integrated VoIP calling 

We are excited to introduce the beta launch of VoIP functionality. Rocket.Chat v7.0 supports voice calling using the SIP protocol, enabling users to make and receive calls over the internet, whether inside or outside your workspace. 

No more juggling between chat, calls, and project tools. Connect geographically dispersed teams, regardless of location or device, for real-time, compliant communication. Make and receive calls using laptops, mobile devices, or physical headsets. Users can directly call colleagues from direct messages or using an integrated dialpad, reducing the need for external communication tools. 

Unlike proprietary VoIP systems, Rocket.Chat integrates with FreeSwitch, offering flexibility and complete control over VoIP server configurations to meet specific organizational needs, thus enabling organizations to avoid high licensing fees, reduce vendor lock-in, and ensure interoperability with existing systems without disrupting current workflows. This also ensures seamless transition for Skype for Business Server users looking to switch to Rocket.Chat. 

The VoIP feature is available as a paid add-on to the Enterprise plan. Learn more about how it works here or contact our team to help you get started.

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Rocket.Chat AI: Driving operational efficiency without sacrificing security 

We recently introduced Rocket.Chat AI beta, and with Rocket.Chat v7.0, we are pleased to announce the general availability of our AI solution. 

Many organizations refrain from generative AI and cloud-based solutions which often require sharing sensitive data with third-party providers. Unlike them, we help regulated industries in implementing an on-premise AI solution that can be enriched with proprietary information without jeopardizing data privacy. 

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How Rocket.Chat AI eliminates security risks and improves efficiency?

Data sovereignty

Host the AI model on your servers to retain complete control over proprietary data and intellectual property, ensuring compliance with data protection regulations and minimizing the risk of breaches. 

Greater information accuracy and relevance

It is evident that static LLMs trained on public data deliver inaccurate or outdated responses. By integrating a RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) pipeline, organizations can significantly boost the accuracy and relevance of generated content. 

The model transforms into a dependable, transparent tool with in-house intelligence, providing business-specific, precise, up-to-date, and trustworthy information from reliable sources, thereby mitigating LLM hallucinations.

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Controlled data access‍

We manage data classification and lineage metadata that enables regulated organizations to control access to sensitive information effectively. We aggregate data from multiple internal sources, and provide granular, permission-based access that aligns with regulatory standards. This ensures that each user only has access to information permitted by their role or clearance level. 

Operational efficiency and improved decision-making

Use AI apps to summarize team threads and customer conversations. The app replies to user questions by retrieving relevant information from your in-house RAG VectorDB. With concise summaries and contextual insights, teams gain quicker, more informed decision-making capabilities, ultimately enhancing responsiveness and enabling focus on strategic initiatives.

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Rocket.Chat AI is available as a paid add-on to the Enterprise plan. 

Ready to deploy? Learn more here or get in touch with our experts. 

E2E Encryption for fully private conversations

With v7.0 E2E Encryption (E2EE) is exiting beta, offering better functionality and user experience. 

For organizations in regulated sectors where data security and compliance are critical, our E2EE provides:‍

• ‍Enhanced data security: E2EE ensures only intended recipients can view communications, protecting against data breaches and message tampering.‍
• Flexibility and data preservation: Users can recover encrypted conversations even after losing their keys, keeping message history intact across devices.‍
• Regulatory compliance: Meet stringent data protection regulations while reducing the risk of penalties for non-compliance.

Key improvements 

• Encrypt channels, teams, discussions and DMs
• Encrypt all files uploaded in encrypted rooms
• Option to restrict room access for users without encryption key
• Mention users in encrypted rooms
• Enable default encryption for DMs and private rooms 
• Reset room encryption keys
• Improved UX for compatibility with other workspace features 

For more information on what’s supported and how to use encryption within Rocket.Chat, refer to our technical documentation. 

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Revamped, clutter-free and intuitive navigation

We’re excited to unveil the new navigation experience in Rocket.Chat, designed to offer users a cleaner, more intuitive interface that enhances message management, especially in high-volume workspaces.

Key improvements

• Redesigned navigation bar: Simplified, with clear functionalities and reduced visual clutter.
• Global header & always-visible search: Quick access to important tools and conversations.
• Collapsible sections: Streamlined access to essential channels, discussions or teams with less clutter.
• Secondary navigation menu: Simplified channel and discussion access of each team. 

With these updates—and future enhancements like global starred messages and thread management—you can now navigate your workspace with ease, improve productivity, and collaborate more effectively.

Enable this setting from the Feature Preview panel to experience the difference!

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Starter plan expansion: free for up to 50 users 

Last year, we introduced the free forever Starter plan, which ensured that small workspaces with up to 25 users (whether for trialing the platform, for small teams, or to simply connect with family and friends) have free and unlimited access to almost everything Rocket.Chat has to offer.

We are now pleased to increase the user limit on the Starter Plan to 50 users. 

Commercial license needed for air-gapped deployments and private apps side-load

We are making an important update on air-gapped deployments and private apps. Effective with v7.0, commercial license (including the forever free Starter) will be required to operate air-gapped workspaces and side-load private apps. 

What does this mean?

Air-gapped changes

We include our commercial code in our build, and we do that to benefit everyone in two ways: 1) opportunity to audit code base to the bottom; 2) if users decide to get a commercial license they don’t have to redeploy—they just have to apply the license and they are up and running. 

Because we make our code as a source available in our code repository, we have the responsibility to protect the intellectual property associated with our commercial code. 

If your workspace is air-gapped running on Community you have few options when updating to v7.0:

• Allow your workspace to connect to Rocket.Chat cloud 
• Remove EE folder in the source code and manage a FOSS build (only MIT open source code)
• Switch to free (Starter) or paid (Pro or Enterprise) plan for official build which will enable air-gapped operations and unlock additional premium features. 

Private apps changes

We've made significant investments in the Apps-Engine over the last two years (AI extensions are an excellent example), and we intend to continue doing so. 

In line with our open-source foundation, all Rocket.Chat users (including the community) can create an unlimited number of custom apps using the apps engine and publish them as public apps on our marketplace. This expands the ecosystem, benefiting everyone. 

However, as the apps engine evolves into a comprehensive toolkit capable of extending Rocket.Chat and tailoring workspace to unique and specific needs, private app uploads will be reserved exclusively for premium plans (including the forever free Starter plan) beginning with v7.0. 

If your workspace uses private apps you’ll have few options:

• Publish your private app(s) to the marketplace and then load to your workspace. 
• Continue operation without changes if workspace is within Starter plan limits. 
• Purchase a paid license which will enable upload of private apps.

Learn more about our premium plans here. 

Architectural improvements 

In v7.0, we made significant architectural improvements to enhance the security, performance and stability of our platform. 

Following changes ensure a more efficient and streamlined user experience while laying the groundwork for future enhancements. 

• Strengthened security and performance with upgraded versions of Meteor, Node.js and MongoDB
• Improved omnichannel performance for reducing the database calls which results in:  some text
  • 46% reduction in new visitor processing time 
  • 39% reduction for returning visitors
• Eliminated deprecated features — Zapier, LinkedIn OAuth, VM2, and DDP methods — to ensure the codebase uses only supported technologies. 

Refer to this technical document to learn more about the breaking changes in v7.0. This document serves as an early notice for workspace admins and managers to take the necessary steps and optimize workspaces accordingly. 

The road ahead: Building the most flexible secure communications platform

We remain committed to innovating and enhancing our platform to provide our users with even greater value and control. We will continue to focus on expanding our security and productivity features, improving user experience and investing further in protocol communication and connectivity.

To better understand our roadmap and vision, check the recording of our recent Roadmap Reveal webinar.

How to update your workspace to the latest Rocket.Chat version?

SaaS workspaces

The release happens automatically on our cloud, so no further action is required from your side. However, remember that updating instances might take a few weeks, so don't hesitate to contact our support team if you need to update your version sooner. 

Self-managed workspaces

Depending on the installation mode, you might need to update your server manually. Check out our documentation for instructions.

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