Open Source Software PBX – ready for prime time?

I’ve been working with a client who needs to replace an aging PBX but is (as is everyone) extremely cost averse.  What are their options?

A vendor supported PBX plus desktop phone sets together would probably cost them more than $10k.  Obviously a vendor supported system has losts of advantages from a user support standpoint, but the inistial costs are high, as are the maintenace costs.

In researching solutions I came across and open source software PBX that looks like it will fit the bill.  Asterisk (www.asterisk.org) was originally developed by Digium and is published under a GPL.  The software comes in two flavors, a the full version or a quick start version called AsteriskNow.  The software is meant to run on any open sources Unix server, but is recommended to run on Linux.  It can also be run on a Windows machine, but I would expect that to be problematic.  Interestingly, it also has a MAC OS  X build.  It can handle (obviously) VOIP, but can also interface with standard POTS lines.

Asterisk is loaded with featuresthat you would normally find on big, expensive PBX’s.  Standard stuff like call forwarding, voicemail, conferencing, call waiting, music on hold are there, but the real value is in the features that are standard here, but very expensive in vendor systems.  Things like text to speech, SMS messaging, streaming media, conference bridging, automated attendant and unified messaging among many others are all included.  In addition Asterisk can function as a call center, routing calls to available agents based on anything you want.  While this is not something my client needs, it is there, and is an example of how far the open source model can go. 

Asterisk uses a modular architecture so that new technologies can be integrated easily into the system.  The system is broken into four API’s that are seperate from the core PBX functions.  This abstratction allows new modules to be added or removed without affecting the core switching functionality. 

What strikes me about this is not only the avalability of the software, which all by itself is remarkable, but the quality and depth of the feature set.  Yes, this is largely to drive business to Digium, but that’s ok, the software is out there, and the community is growing to support it.  The great thing about the Digium piece is that you can try the implementation youself, and if the support becomes too much to handle, you can contract with them if you need to.  Its a great safety net.

• Bypass the Recycle Bin in XP I have a love hate relationship with the Recycle Bin.  When I need it, I'm glad its there, but for the most part it is just a pain in the rear.  Most people forget to empty it (don't we all hate taking out the trash?) and end up with loads......
• Windows 7 - First impressions So far so good - I installed the beta on a couple of laptops in the last month, and so far I like what I see.  It's very much Vista centric, but without the sllllloooooowwwwwness.  Boot time is much improved (under a minute) and there are some added features that......
• Adding multiple emails accounts on your iPhone If you are like me, you have too many email accounts. Work account, personal account, account for public use (spam mostly ends up here), blog email account, side business account, test accounts from various services. Too many to check all the time. What do I do to manage them all?......
• I hate viruses Working on a client computer for the last two days that is massively infected.  When they handed the machine to me, there was no firewall, no virus protection and windows updates were way out of sync.  Whoo boy. Windows update was not working at all - one if the viruses......
• Dual core processors for mobile devices? ARM dual core chips for iPhone, Palm Pre next year CNET is reporting that ARM, the company responsible for designing the architecture behind most mobile comuting CPU's said  that mobile phone makers will be delivering devices that run on ARM"s latest dual core CPU's as early as next year. They are referring to the ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore application processor.  According......

• VoIP PBX - Enabling Business Growth Voice Over IP is a very challenging arena with PBX systems providing an enormous scope to people to use the Voice Over IP for business as well as professional purposes. It is especially useful for business as a company having multiple offices in a country can make use of its......
• Building A VOIP Phone System Using Trixbox Voice Over IP or VoIP is the latest buzz word on everyone's lips. VoIP literally takes your calls and places them over the internet instead of the traditional analogue phone network. As a Linux consultant it is my job to stay up to date on the latest open-source technology,......
• What Can a Hosted Virtual PBX Offer My Small Business? Traditional PBXes have a limiting quality that is an inherent factor of the device. These can only service one location, and employees must be in that location to use it (make phone calls, check voicemail, etc.). In comparison, hosted virtual PBXes break that limitation and transform the way work......
• Hosted PBX and VoIP Phones For Small Offices A hosted PBX phone system with VoIP features is a perfect telecommunication solution for small business offices. With this phone system you can manage incoming business calls in a proficient manner and generate an authentic business image.Innumerable Benefits for Your Small Business OfficeBy implementing hosted PBX VoIP phone system......
• Save Time, Money and Space in Over 80 Ways If you're looking for handy gadgets, tools and various items that can save you time, money or space (or all three!) this list of more than 80 top products is just what you need. Everyone's got saving money on their minds these days. Some of us are always looking to......