Matrix is a widely used open source chat platform. It is an alternative to platforms such as Slack and MSTeams. In line with C4DT’s objective to promote services in the realm of digital trust, we set up our own Matrix instance and migrated our professional communications there in 2019.
A privacy-first approach with encrypted chat rooms by default and the service operating on EPFL infrastructure guarantee a high level of data security. Moreover, adherence to best practices and security standards ensures a high quality of service.
Edward Andò from the Imaging Center at EPFL started an EPFL-wide instance, matrix.epfl.ch, in 2023. It advances digital trust at the whole EPFL while also having a broader positive impact. Most importantly, the service aligns with EPFL’s three core objectives: research, education and innovation.
Multiple EPFL research labs and other units have also since joined and today rely on the Matrix instance to connect their members both with each other and students. Furthermore, the federated nature of the service facilitates communication with external researchers regardless of their affiliation.
Good for EPFL
Matrix.epfl.ch is not only a valuable asset to research, it is also valuable to EPFL’s goal of education. Instructors are actively using matrix.epfl.ch in day-to-day education, and the service recently hosted the Center for Imaging’s summer school. The platform even welcomed its first Bachelor research project this year, demonstrating that the platform allows students to explore concepts of Computer Science in a real-world setting.
Finally, matrix.epfl.ch acts as a catalyst for innovation. For instance, the service connects EPFL’s research software engineers to the nascent Research Software Engineers of Switzerland community, enabling EPFL’s engineers to play a key role in shaping this movement and promoting innovative approaches in scientific software.
But it wasn’t always like this… In this post, we will guide you through the timeline of how Matrix went from being a limited offer to the C4DT team to a project available to all of EPFL.
Report 2024 matrix.epfl.ch
At the end of 2023, we became aware of an unofficial Matrix instance, matrix.epfl.ch, hosted by EPFL’s Center for Imaging, that was open to the entire EPFL community. It was set up and supported by Edward Andò, who is a senior scientist at the Center for Imaging at EPFL. He started the matrix.epfl.ch project because he needed a reliable chat application that he could trust. Thinking ahead and planning to eventually move the users of matrix.c4dt.org to this EPFL-wide instance, C4DT reached out to Edward Andò to offer our support bolstering matrix.epfl.ch’s team, which was readily welcomed.
Activities in 2024
The strategy of the Matrix team, composed of Edward Andò and Carine Dengler, was two-pronged: on the one hand, consolidating the existing service, and on the other hand, officializing the service within EPFL to ensure its long-term viability.
To consolidate matrix.epfl.ch, we took several steps. Most notably, we established regular admin meetings for decision-taking and pair-programming, put a tool in place to manage sensitive information, migrated the project to EPFL’s GitLab to facilitate collaboration, created a dedicated test environment for new versions, and integrated the live instance into C4DT’s monitoring.
To engage stakeholders and gather support for an official EPFL Matrix instance, we met directly with key individuals from different units within EPFL. We also presented the project at various internal events, most notably the Forum SI organized by the central IT services of EPFL. Furthermore, in collaboration with EPFL’s legal team, we drafted the Terms of Use of matrix.epfl.ch.
Crucially, despite almost no effort having been made to promote matrix.epfl.ch to the larger EPFL community, the service experienced a remarkable surge in its user base, from under a 100 registered users at the beginning of 2024 to over 500 end of 2024, with over 160 daily active users. That this increase is largely attributable to word-of-mouth alone demonstrates significant community interest in this service.
Timeline 2024
- November ‘23
- Prof. Michael Herbst’s Mathematics for Materials Modelling (MatMat) research lab joins
- December ‘23
- C4DT joins Matrix administration
- February ’24
- contact with Matrix admins at ETHZ is established
- Prof. Christophe Moser’s Laboratory of Applied Photonics Devices (LAPD) research lab joins
- March ’24
- presentation at STI admin meeting
- presentation at OSS Services Meet-Up
- RSE-CH space for the Swiss RSE community is created
- Prof. Dimitri Van De Ville’s Medical Image Processing (MIP) research lab joins
- April ’24
- Prof. Mathias Payer’s HexHive research lab joins
- June ’24
- Center for Imaging’s summer school
- August ’24
- presentation at Forum SI
- 500th registered user
- September ’24
- 1st year anniversary
- on-boarding first Bachelor research project
- presentation of Bachelor research project at OSS Services Meet-Up
- October ’24
- Terms of Use
Conclusion
In this past year we saw that matrix.epfl.ch is a valuable asset in supporting EPFL’s core missions of research, education and innovation. We strongly believe the positive impact of the platform on communication and community building warrants on-going support.
2025 outlook for matrix.epfl.ch
In 2025, matrix.epfl.ch will continue to advance EPFL’s core objectives by:
- expanding lab on-boarding
- adapting the service to our user’s evolving needs
- supporting communities driving innovation at EPFL and beyond
Finally, to ensure matrix.epfl.ch’s long-term viability we’ll continue working towards officially integrating it into EPFL’s services.