A San Ramon-based tech company has launched an ambitious hyper-communications platform that will enable users to message, group chat, email, voice call or video call anyone in the world, all while using an ad-free app that never collects or sells a users data.

Designed to unify textual, vocal and visual communications into one carrier that emphasizes ethics and privacy, illumy -- the name of the app as well as the company that designed it -- has more than 7,000 beta customers and is powered by a team that includes engineers and leaders from RingCentral and Zoom.

“People have been tolerating a disjointed and cumbersome mashup of privacy-infringing, fragmented and siloed communication technologies for far too long,” said Matt McGinnis, founder and CEO of illumy.

“The way we communicate now is more real-time and multimedia-rich than ever before, but we keep trying to force it into old, two-dimensional tech that doesn't allow for rich information exchange. illumy is creating a deeper, more connected communication experience that puts people first through its seamless messaging, email and calling features,” he added.

Features include "Unified Communications" in one location where users can message, group chat, email, voice call or video call anyone in the world -- whether the recipients are illumy users or not -- and can be used on any device with internet connection.

illumy also emphasizes protecting its users data, ensuring that members have total ownership and control of their personal information and everything they share.

"Unlike other communications apps and websites that mine member and psychographic data and claim content as their own without consent, illumy preserves people’s privacy — people are not the product," illumy spokespeople said in a statement.

Spokespeople also say illumy also works with "all 5 billion email addresses in the world" and that users can make and receive landline and mobile phone calls using illumy phone numbers.

“illumy’s sophisticated, dynamic team has built a full-spectrum communications platform that no one has even come close to creating,” said vice president of product Levonius. “With next-generation technology — including one of the largest implementations of WebSockets in the world — and industry-leading security, illumy is completely redefining what it means to virtually communicate.”

illumy’s i1 plan is now open to the public and free to use. Additional premium features are available for a monthly charge.