Introduction to Pexip apps

Pexip apps allow users to join conferences (Virtual Meeting Rooms, Virtual Auditoriums and so on) within the Pexip Infinity deployment.

In addition to sharing audio and video, app users can also control the conference, view presentations, share content, and exchange chat messages with other conference participants. Pexip apps can also be used in conjunction with the Infinity Gateway to make person-to-person calls, or join conferences hosted on other platforms, such as Microsoft Teams.

All apps can make calls to Pexip Infinity services. The Pexip app for Windows can also register to Pexip Infinity in order to receive calls and use directory services.

Pexip apps are available for almost any device:

  • The web app is included as part of all Pexip Infinity deployments. It is used to access Pexip Infinity services from all of the major web browsers.
  • The Pexip app for Windows is an installable client supported on Windows.
  • The Pexip app for mobile is available for Android and iOS devices.

All apps are available for free with the Pexip Infinity platform (although, as with any other endpoint, you must still have a license with sufficient call capacity before you can place calls).

Which Pexip apps should I use in my deployment?

The apps all offer similar conference join and control features, and have the same high-quality video experience. You can use a combination of some or all Pexip apps within your deployment, depending on your requirements. In general, we recommend the following:

  • Users connecting from outside your organization and who do not have their own video device should generally use the web app to access VMRs. This means that they won't need to download or install anything in order to access meetings, but will still have the same high-quality user experience and functionality of participants using a Pexip desktop app.

    You'll need to make sure that at least one Conferencing Node is accessible externally, and you'll also need to set up appropriate DNS records for connections from both inside and outside your network.

  • Users connecting from inside your organization should also use the web app, unless you want them to be able to register to receive incoming calls — in which case they need to use a Pexip desktop app.

  • The Pexip app for Windows should be used if you want to take advantage of the additional registration (to receive incoming calls) and internal directory service features. Administrators can also set up Call Routing Rules that apply to registered devices only, meaning that you can permit registered Pexip app for Windows users to make calls that web app users cannot.

    If you are deploying the Pexip app for Windows in your environment, we recommend that you make use of provisioning, and you'll also need to set up appropriate DNS records.

  • The Pexip app for mobile is aimed at users who want to join conferences from their iOS or Android mobile device. The Pexip app for mobile allows for calendar integration and provides a meeting experience similar to that of the Pexip web app. Users can join conferences directly from their in-app calendar or by dialing a video address.

Making calls from Pexip apps

For a Pexip app to make a call, it must be able to connect to a Conferencing Node that can route that call on its behalf.

The web app connects directly to a Conferencing Node or Reverse Proxy (via the host's FQDN or IP address). When a call is placed from the web app, it is treated as an incoming call request by the Conferencing Node, and routed accordingly. For more information, see Service precedence. All other Pexip apps typically use DNS SRV records to find a Conferencing Node to connect to.

You must ensure that your deployment has appropriate internal and external DNS configured to allow apps located inside and outside your internal network to resolve the Conferencing Node address successfully. The actual address apps use when attempting to locate a host Conferencing Node depends on the domain being called and the app's own configuration. For more information, see Setting up DNS records and firewalls for Pexip apps connectivity.

Receiving calls to Pexip apps

For an app to receive a call, it must register with a Conferencing Node. The client's Registration Host setting specifies the domain, FQDN or IP address of the Conferencing Node that it should register to; therefore, you must ensure that the address used is reachable from the client from the internal or external network as appropriate, and that any FQDNs can be resolved via DNS lookups. For more information, see Enabling registrations.

Currently, only Pexip app for Windows can register to a Conferencing Node.

Branding the web app

The branding and styling of the web app can be customized. This changes the look and feel of the web app regardless of which service is being accessed. See Customizing and branding the web app for more information.

Customization is not available in the Pexip app for Windows or Pexip app for mobile.

Enabling and disabling use of the Pexip apps

Access to conferences from the Pexip apps is enabled by default. If you do not want users to access conferences within your deployment from the Pexip apps, you can disable this functionality.

To disable or re-enable this functionality:

  1. Go to Platform > Global settings.

  2. From within the Connectivity section:

    1. Deselect or select Enable support for Pexip Infinity Connect and Mobile App. This controls access from all Pexip apps and third-party clients using the client APIs.
    2. When Enable support for Pexip Infinity Connect and Mobile App is selected, you must also ensure that Enable WebRTC is selected.

When access is disabled, users attempting to use Pexip apps to access a conference or make a call are presented with the message Call Failed: Disabled (you can customize the Pexip apps to change the wording of this message if required).