Explore CIM: An Open‑Source Real‑Time Messaging Platform for Web, Android & iOS

Project Overview

E‑commerce platforms rely heavily on instant messaging for notifications and customer service chats. This article shares an open‑source instant messaging system called CIM, which can also be used as a push‑notification service. The source code links are provided at the end of the article.

Architecture

CIM is built on either the Mina or Netty framework and integrates WebSocket to support multiple client types, including Android, iOS, desktop applications, embedded devices, and web applications. The typical architecture consists of a server and multiple clients that enable user‑A to chat with user‑B, with optional cluster expansion support.

Core Modules

The project is divided into server and client parts. The server side integrates Netty with WebSocket, while the client side offers various SDKs for different platforms.

Directory Structure

cim-use-examples – examples for each client

cim-client-sdk – source code of client SDKs

cim-server-sdk – server SDK source (Mina and Netty versions)

cim-boot-server – Spring Boot server project, developed with IntelliJ IDEA

All SDKs are Maven projects that can be packaged into JAR files and imported into corresponding client or server applications.

Feature Preview

Console : Access the management console at

http://127.0.0.1:8080

Android Client

Web Client

Conclusion

The open‑source CIM system can be adapted for push notifications or chat services. With minimal backend modifications, it can be used directly. While the front‑end is not the focus, Android, iOS, and web clients are supported. Review the example code to decide if it’s worth adding to your toolbox.