[LINK] Asterisk Linux PABX

[rchirgwin at ozemail.com.au]

Jim Birch wrote:

> rchirgwin at ozemail.com.au wrote:
>
>> Jim Birch wrote:
>>
>>> Asterisk is an open source PABX that runs in a Linux box.  Looks set 
>>> to pull the carpet from under traditional PABX vendors in the near 
>>> future.  The product looks to be functional but in active development.
>>>
>>> http://www.asterisk.org/
>>>
>>> "They are developing a sophisticated PBX on a PC with the 
>>> (capability) of a US$100,000 PBX," he [VoIP pioneer Jeff Pulver] 
>>> said. "It will be a world class PBX that runs on Linux. You can have 
>>> a PBX for the cost of a PC."
>>>
>>> http://www.itnews.com.au/newsstory.aspx?CIaNID=17357&eid=1&edate=20041221 
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Does anyone have any experience with this, or similar?
>>>
>>> Last time I looked - a couple of years ago - with a view to a hybrid 
>>> system, IP handsets were incredibly expensive as was the VoIP card 
>>> (and licensing!) from the PABX vendor so it didn't make sense.  I 
>>> guess the $25 Chinese voip handset can't be far away now.
>>
>>
>>
>> Whether or not Asterix 'pulls the rug' etc kind of depends on a lot 
>> of variables, Jim.
>
>
> Ok!  Points taken.  I'm no certainly expert on PABXs but the 
> availability of a good open source application running on commodity 
> hardware has got to give the PABX vendors at least a little nudge.  
> The "cream" licence fees you pay to get features unlocked that are 
> free on Asterisk would become hard to maintain.  Similarly, the 
> maintenance fee situation has to change when pabx configuration can 
> move into the province of the office IT guy.

Ummm ... that might be upskilling the job. (No offense to phone techs.) 
But which takes more: learning Linux, security, VoIP, QoS, IP-on-WAN - 
or typing in phone config?

>
> Port costs, cable plant, security, UPS, QoS, etc are all issues 
> especially for the big guys.  But I'd see this kind of technology 
> taken up first by smallish companies with a switched on IT person 
> using low-end equipment who are (eg) looking to to migrate from an old 
> Commander(like) system and are presented with a PABX quote.  The 
> corporates may move some time down the track and the equation will be 
> different.


Don't knock the Commander, there's still roughly 300,000 systems still 
out there.

I think the corporates are moving quicker (and getting burned sooner, 
C.F. Westpac's giant VoIP disaster, which just follows the Large 
Corporate Death March strategy! - But I agree that Linux telephony best 
fits the profile you outline. Mind you, I can get Linux in a black box 
phone system (at least two? three?) and not have to learn Linux to plug 
in the phones (vendors: ? Alcatel, ? Mitel, definitely Zultys). My point 
isn't a critique of Asterix, but of Hype...

RC

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