Asterisk@Home
Posted on April 26, 2006
Filed Under Open Source/Freeware, Software, VoIP |
VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is often associated with cheap long distance phone calls over a high speed Internet connection, but there is a great deal more that can be done with it.
I am always on the lookout for products that will bring more value to my clients’ networks. One product that at first glance appears to bring enormous value is the open source Asterisk VoIP PBX (Private Branch eXchange).
A PBX connects a business telephone system to the public telephone network. A PBX offers services such as multiple lines, extensions, voice mail, automated attendants, reporting, and so on. PBX’s bring immense benefits to businesses but also often come with similarly immense price tags.
Asterisk on the other hand offers all of the features of a typical PBX plus some. Based on VoIP, Asterisk offers additional features such as:
• It can connect to standard phone lines as well as low cost VoIP networks
• Users can literally take their phone (or a software phone on a laptop) with them and connect to the office system from anywhere there is a high speed Internet connection.
• Voice mail can be forwarded to email, pager, text messaging, or picked up from a web page.
• Upgrades to the system are as simple as installing new software.
• And more
Asterisk runs on a regular computer and has modest hardware requirements. It is not uncommon for Asterisk to be run on computers that otherwise would have been retired.
Because Asterisk uses VoIP, adapters are required to connect standard phones. IP phones or soft phones can connect directly to the system. The Asterisk software itself is free and runs on Linux which comes in a variety of free versions. Even after hardware adjustments, Asterisk installations are very attractively priced.
The trouble with Asterisk is that it is a complex system and as such, it is complex to install. It is difficult to fit it into a viable business offering because of this complexity even though the feature set is so rich.
In April 2005, version 1.0 of Asterisk@Home was released. Asterisk@Home takes much of the pain out of installing Asterisk. Unfortunately named, Asterisk@Home is not a scaled down version of Asterisk but rather the full blown version that bundles CentOS Linux, Asterisk, and a wealth of management tools into one convenient installation package.
Now in version 2.8, Asterisk@Home has matured to the point where it is a viable offering from both the installer and end user points of view. Installers can get their jobs done without undue manual configuration and end users can configure voice prompts, voice mail forwarding, etc. easily.
VoIP technology is expected to outpace standard telephone technology in the coming year. Powerful applications like Asterisk@Home can only make that happen sooner rather than later.
To learn more about Asterisk@Home please visit http://asteriskathome.sourceforge.net.
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