In a recent post on X, Sridhar Vembu, co-founder and Chief Scientist of Zoho, elaborated on the intricate technological framework that supports Arattai, the company’s proprietary messaging and calling application. He emphasized that while the app may appear straightforward, it is underpinned by extensive research and development, showcasing years of engineering expertise.
Arattai, a simple product built on deep engineering
Vembu articulated that Arattai is a culmination of a significant amount of deep engineering. He outlined several proprietary frameworks that have been developed in-house by Zoho, which enhance the app’s performance, scalability, and security.
Refined real-time communication framework
According to Vembu, the real-time communication capabilities of Arattai are powered by Zoho’s custom-built messaging and audio-visual (AV) framework. This system, refined over 15 years, ensures “crisp calls and meetings that connect quickly.” He also pointed out Zoho’s distributed computing framework, perfected over two decades, which allows for efficient workload distribution across servers and databases. This framework not only guarantees fault tolerance and performance monitoring but also maintains robust security, supporting many of Zoho’s other products and safeguarding the company’s cloud ecosystem.
“Our staying power comes from the depth of all the R&D we do,” Vembu noted, revealing that he has dedicated himself full-time to research and development. He hinted at the emergence of “many more innovations” from the company’s labs in the near future. Vembu also commended the dedication of the Arattai team, acknowledging their commitment over more than five years of development. Drawing a parallel between engineering and spiritual discipline, he remarked, “Being a dedicated engineer is like being a Rishi,” encouraging his team to remain focused amidst external praise or criticism.
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A homegrown alternative built on indigenous tech
Arattai, which translates to “chat” in Tamil, was introduced as a privacy-focused alternative to mainstream messaging applications, constructed entirely on Zoho’s indigenous technology stack. Vembu’s insights reaffirm the company’s commitment to developing deeply integrated, homegrown software from the ground up.
Arattai vs WhatsApp
Emerging as a formidable Indian alternative to WhatsApp, Arattai offers a range of unique features that enhance both productivity and privacy. One notable tool is Meetings, which enables users to host, join, or schedule video conferences directly within the app, integrating functionality akin to Google Meet or Zoom into a user-friendly chat interface. Another innovative feature is Pocket, a built-in personal cloud storage space that allows users to save messages, media, and important notes without the need to message themselves, a common practice on WhatsApp. Additionally, the app includes a Mentions section inspired by Slack, facilitating easy tracking of tagged messages.
Importantly, Arattai maintains a no-ads policy and ensures that user data is not exploited for marketing or promotional purposes, setting it apart from WhatsApp’s integration with Meta’s advertising systems. Currently, it also features no compulsory AI integration, steering clear of intrusive AI tools and providing users with a simpler, distraction-free communication experience.
