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Bonjour is Apple Inc.’s version of zero-configuration networking (zeroconf), a set of protocols that allows a network device to automatically recognize and communicate with other devices on the network. This streamlined technology allows users with no experience to set up and use devices on a network. The original software was introduced by Apple in 2002 as part of Mac OS X v10.2.
Prior to 2005, this software bore the name Rendezvous, but the name was changed as a result of a trademark lawsuit.
Techopedia Explains Bonjour
Bonjour is a very versatile method for detecting the services available on a local area network (LAN). It is widely used through Apple’s OS X, and it allows users to set up a network without any configuration by locating printers and file-sharing servers. Many of Apple’s software programs use Bonjour to find and share various resources and data on a local area network.
Bonjour is used by many operating systems to locate and/or share local recordings with multiple clients, users, specific types or formats of files, digital video recorders, shared-media libraries, Web servers, document collaborators, contacts, tasks and event information. Bonjour can also be used by software programs to synchronize projects and tasks between the Mac desktop and the iPad, iPhone or iPod touch and other devices. Finally, it can be used to view network services provided by many applications, facilitate advertising and establish connections to libraries such as iTunes.
Bonjour works on many different operating systems, including Mac OS 9, Mac OS X, Linux, Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD), Solaris, VxWorks and Windows.
